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Posted on Wed, Mar. 19, 2008

Nailing down the Wright story

By DAVID HOUSE

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Last week's presidential campaign coverage ignited controversy that actually cleared a path toward demystifying some newsgathering practices.

First, consider that readers expect news that's fair and balanced, not just accurate. Problem is, readers sometimes want that news faster than pursuit of fairness and balance allows.

All of this was at work Friday when some readers accused the Star-Telegram of shielding Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama from fiery comments made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., that they had heard about the day before.

Readers said they expected print coverage to follow TV news and talk-show chatter that had focused on a Thursday ABC News report based on recorded sermons of Wright's in which he roasted America during services at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

In one sermon from 2003, Wright said blacks should say "God d--- America ... for treating our citizens as less than human. God d--- America for as long as she acts like she is God ..."

Readers have read about controversial remarks from Wright and other candidates' spiritual colleagues, but they were livid about Wright's apparent cursing of America. They asked a good question: Why didn't the Star-Telegram have that story Friday? "If you don't have it," one angry caller warned, "there'll be protests."

John Gravois, assistant managing editor over government and political coverage, explained: "We didn't get a story" from any of the wire services. "There was nothing to run."

Most readers said they expected coverage from The Associated Press, so I called AP's New York offices, explained readers' concerns and asked why there was no Thursday-for-Friday coverage about the ABC News exclusive.

"We waited for Senator Obama to make a statement," AP spokesman Jack Stokes said. That statement came Friday, not Thursday, resulting in coverage for Saturday, which the Star-Telegram carried on Pages 1A and 6A.

Additionally, The AP was nonplussed by another set of outrageous Wright comments and needed to test the comments' relevance to the presidential race.

Waiting for Obama's statement and not parroting broadcast news and talk shows gave Obama the fairness extended to Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, Stokes said.

Last month, controversy erupted after McCain was endorsed by San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, who caused nationwide furor when he said the Roman Catholic Church is "apostate" and "the great whore of Babylon" and that New Orleans' sins drew God's chastisement via Hurricane Katrina.

The AP didn't move a Hagee story, Stokes said, until they had reaction from McCain and had completed independent verification, a time-consuming but essential practice.

"We have to do our own reporting. That's how The AP handles controversial statements. We're very cautious."

Obama and McCain distanced themselves from the preachers' comments.

"If candidate Obama had endorsed (Wright's) comments in any way, the news value would have soared," Rex Seline, Star-Telegram managing editor/news, said. "Just as if McCain had endorsed Hagee's comments. They didn't do that. In fact, they rejected the comments."

"AP -- and, by extension, the Star-Telegram -- typically won't pick up a controversial story from broadcast without checking it out. Liberal conspiracy? No. Responsible media? Yes."

Wright's likely to remain an outspoken newsmaker, with a boost from the Black Leadership Award he'll receive March 29 from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University during Brite's fourth annual State of the Black Church summit.

The Star-Telegram will cover the event if the school allows us in, and there are questions about access. Odds are Wright will share provocative thoughts. The media will learn what he said -- and launch another exercise in fairness, balance and accuracy.