KMTV's web post and on-air reporting of last night's fatal police shooting of an Omahan are marvels of "avoidant garbage"
Here are some of the evasions, passive linguistic buck-passing, obfuscations and violations of recommendations by the Columbia Review of Journalism and the Associated Press in KMTV's initial story:
Posted at 9:29 PM, Nov 19, 2020and last updated 6:02 AM, Nov 20, 2020OMAHA, Neb. — The Omaha Police Department said a routine traffic stop at 27th and Harrison ended in a 31-year-old Black man dead from gunshot wounds.
Officers said they asked a male to exit the vehicle and he refused. Once he did exit, the officers said they observed a weapon, a struggle ensued and an officer fired shots.
The man was struck and taken to Nebraska Medicine where he died from his injuries. A police department spokesman said they believe only one officer discharged his weapon, but they are unsure exactly how many shots were fired.
What do self-aware and self-critical journalists have to say about what this sort of lazy journalism? Plenty!
Officer-involved shooting (https://www.pressclubinstitute.org/2020/08/24/how-to-avoid-using-officer-involved-shooting/How to avoid using ‘officer-involved shooting’
"officer-involved shooting" is journalistic failure on multiple levels: first, it is confusing and inadequate to communicate the truth (an officer shot someone). second, it allows the subject of the reporting (the police department) to dictate the language used in the coverage
— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) August 24, 2020
Any media using “officer-involved shooting” is intentionally using language designed to obfuscate, and worse, is doing so to preserve access to organizations that we *know* routinely & systematically lie to journalists. Editorial leaders should be ashamed to allow it. https://t.co/MvkbmZwETW
— Anil Dash (@anildash) August 24, 2020
— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) August 24, 2020
Any media using “officer-involved shooting” is intentionally using language designed to obfuscate, and worse, is doing so to preserve access to organizations that we *know* routinely & systematically lie to journalists. Editorial leaders should be ashamed to allow it. https://t.co/MvkbmZwETW
— Anil Dash (@anildash) August 24, 2020
