Quote investigation should lead to more transparency
Published April 11, 2008
I would like to take this opportunity to explain to our readers a situation that has arisen here at The Maneater. In the March 7 story, “McCain wins four Tuesday primaries,” senior Lucinda Housley, a frequent Maneater source, was quoted as commenting on Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., securing the Republican presidential nomination and the endorsement of President George Bush. Lucinda came to my managing editor and me after the story ran and told us she never talked to our reporter and that the quote was fabricated. We have looked into the situation at Lucinda’s request. Although Lucinda’s phone bill did not show an incoming call at the time our reporter said she made the call, the reporter’s phone bill, as provided by her cell phone service provider, does show it, and the reporter has provided us with her notes from the interview. At this point we’re standing behind our reporter and their story. Communication professor William Benoit, who was also quoted in the story, verified he had talked to the reporter for the story and that his quotes were real and accurate. We’re continuing to look into this situation and will, if the outcome changes, use this space to let our readers know about it. At no time is it ever acceptable for a Maneater reporter to fabricate or plagiarize any part of a story, especially quotes. We strive to uphold the highest journalistic standards and ethics. Our readers’ help is key in doing so. We would never have known about this incident if Lucinda hadn’t come to us with her concerns. I’d like to thank her for letting us know about this so we could investigate the situation and work to make it right. If there is ever an inaccuracy in any Maneater content, please do not hesitate to contact me at the e-mail address provided at the top of this page or in our office at 214 Brady Commons. I’d also like to take this opportunity to share with our readers our policies on quotes and attribution. After a reporter contacts a source to interview them for a story, the reporter is required to offer the source the opportunity for a quote check. Sources are contacted before the story is edited, and their quotes and the information in the story that is attributed to them is read back to them so they can verify that the quotes and information are accurate. This is also an opportunity for sources to share any further information they feel is relevant after they know a little more about the story. Not all newspapers have a policy like this, but The Maneater’s mission as a “learning paper” for student journalists necessitates it to ensure that our stories are accurate. If a quote or attributed information is found to be fabricated, the staff member would be fired immedately. If a reporter is found to have not offered a quote check to a source or to have used inaccurate information or quotes, we have a system to deal with the problem. For the first missed quote check offense, the reporter’s pay for the story is docked. For the second offense, the reporter is put on probation and must furnish proof of their quote checks to their editor when the story is turned in. The reporter on the McCain story was put on this type of probation while we looked into the quotes, and will remain on probation as we continue to investigate. For the third and any further offenses, the reporter then must meet with my managing editor and me to explain himself or herself and face further sanctions that could include suspension or firing. We take this very seriously, and all of our editors are well-trained in dealing with this policy. Again, if there is ever a problem with the accuracy of our quotes or information, or you are a source who was not offered a quote check, please let us know so we can fix the problem. A newspaper relies on its credibility to perform its mission as a reliable news source and watchdog for its community, and The Maneater is no different. We want our readers to know that they can trust us for the best coverage of the issues and events that affect them, and being trustworthy is part of that. We strive to provide accurate, complete coverage, and we want to know if there are problems we need to fix in order to ensure that our credibility remains intact.
--Steve Oslica Editor-in-Chief, The Maneater soslica@themaneater.com