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1. Diane
   Member Profile

   

   I’ve been trying to follow this story on main page of westseattleblog, and shocked to just read in Seattle Times that stabbing victim is vaudeville performer Professor Hokum W. Jeebs of Hokum Hall fame http://bit.ly/fYiNri

   Posted 1 year ago #         

2. WSB
   Member Profile

   

   The Times has sourced it only to a friend.

   We had likely identifying information, which I will not elaborate on, within a few hours of the crime. However, our policy - and that of most news organizations - is that unless there's a matter of urgency or public safety, we await authorities' release of the ID. (Or a family member may choose to announce it.)

   After seeing this story five hours ago, I called the M/E's office, again, as we had done several times during the day. They reiterated that **THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED THEIR NOTIFICATIONS** which is part of the reason why you generally do not release ID's until they say they've notified close relatives, etc.

   As a newsroom manager, I got to take the call from a furious and heartbroken person who learned about a close relative's death from a broadcast I managed, because my team failed to follow those rules.

   Once the murder victim's identification is officially confirmed, we will publish it.

   And once the murder suspect is charged (assuming he will be), we will report his name. There is little chance that will happen today, but he will likely be in court for a bail hearing, after which time the prosecuting attorney's office usually releases probable-cause information which outlines what investigators think happened and why they think the suspect was involved.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

3. DP
   Member Profile

   

   That's the problem with broadcast news: it's all about "the scoop."

   Outfits who care about following the rules of etiquette (like WSB) are at a disadvantage compared to the ones who care more about breaking the story first.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

4. moxilot
   Member Profile

   Thank you, WSB. Decorum and dignity are not dead.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

5. cclarue
   Member Profile

   Amen to that moxilot!! I love that my news source(Wsb) is ethical!!! It is so refreshing to know when I read it here I can know if it came from our editors it is fact, and that the information gathering was done in a respectful ethical manner.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

6. Lindsey
   Member Profile

   

   Thank you for explaining why this is done, Tracey. I also had to find out about a relative's death from the news and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

7. moxilot
   Member Profile

   Also, Diane, I didn't mean for that to be a shot at you or at your media selection.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

8. WSB
   Member Profile

   

   Thank you all. I did want to circle back and say that I called the KCME again minutes ago and they have now officially released the ID, notifications complete.
   .
   http://westseattleblog.com/2011/02/fauntleroy-stabbing-victim-officially-identified-as-entertainer-hokum-w-jeebs
   .
   And I don't want to condone a contention that the Times was unethical ... they just made a different decision ... and I wanted to explain ours, for better/worse, oldschool as it seems. It would have been easy to say "OK, well, it's out, so never mind why we didn't publish it sooner, we'll just go with it too, now that somebody else has" but that just wasn't right, for us.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

9. charlabob
   Member Profile

   

   Thanks, WSB, for the explanation -- you didn't have to explain anything, but I'm very glad you did.

   I'm getting used to restaurants closing before I have a chance to try them -- but Hokum? Never!!! All murders are tragic -- somehow the killing of someone whose life is devoted to making people laugh seems even worse.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

10. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    “Be honest and real; it almost always works. If it’s not working, step away gracefully. And never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.”

    -– Professor Hokum W. Jeebs

    Posted 1 year ago #         

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