Opinion: Why we reported Tuesday’s death the way we did
Somebody died on campus yesterday. We found out everything we could and reported it. You might’ve disagreed with our headline and framing — but now, we want your feedback.
Police responding to the death on campus Tuesday morning. Photo by Kimberly Swan
November 6, 2019
Journalists have a fine line to walk when covering a suicide. Yesterday, we walked that line while reporting a breaking news story titled, “Death near parking garage causes blockage.”
It’s exactly what it sounds like: A student died near Garage 1, and police blocked off the surrounding area for three hours. We never mentioned the victim’s name — or even called it a suicide — because we don’t yet have that information.
But within minutes of posting the story, we received criticism that our story was impersonal and lacked empathy toward the victim. So our questions to you are: What headline would you have preferred to see? What additional information would you like to know?
But before you answer, we want to explain our reasoning for telling the story the way we did.
We followed the industry standard
The UP’s reporting follows guidelines set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook, an instruction manual of sorts which most professional journalists follow. Here’s their most recent entry on reporting on suicide:
“Generally, AP does not cover suicides or suicide attempts, unless the person involved is a well-known figure or the circumstances are particularly unusual or publicly disruptive. Suicide stories, when written, should not go into detail on methods used.”
If this was a suicide, which we haven’t confirmed from police reports, we followed our industry’s standard. (The reason we included the detail of a self-inflicted gunshot was to let people know there was a gun on campus.) This particular industry standard is impersonal by nature, but for good reason: When a suicide is publicly disruptive, people want to know when their roads will open again and how their day is impacted.
That approach was the best one to take in the moment.
Professional journalists do the same
At the scene, students began to speculate what happened, and why they’d been waiting for hours to get to their cars. For our staff, and under the circumstances, the best way to cover the story was to explain what happened, like a professional journalist would. And we did it the way other journalists do:
Road closed in Ballwin for suicide investigation — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Traffic backs up on I-15 after ‘possible suicide’ in Orem — Daily Herald
Traffic Diverted Off Highway 99 Due to Suicidal Man — Fox 40 Sacramento
There were tough choices beyond the headline we had to make. We had a picture of the victim’s car which we unpublished because of privacy concerns. We didn’t explain what the crime scene looked like. We didn’t go into detail about the methods the victim used. We published contact information for counseling services on campus.
The story doesn’t end with one article
Right after we broke the news, we asked for the police report that will contain more details. And before we even published the article, we decided to write another story remembering the person’s life and their impact on campus, if the person was in the public eye on campus.
The reason we didn’t write a memorial article yesterday is because those types of stories take time. We know that because this isn’t the first time we’ve covered suicide. When Marjory Stoneman Douglas alumni and FAU student Sydney Aiello died by suicide earlier this year, we did two stories: a breaking news story with a brief summary of what happened and a longform story about her life and legacy that came out three months later.
But when students started to criticize how we covered the death, we wanted to be more transparent than just a tweet. As the student newspaper, we care about what students are upset about — especially if it’s us. We want you to hold us accountable and more importantly, give us feedback on the way we write things. We, of all people, know that words matter.
So yes, yesterday’s story glossed over the late student or faculty member’s life. But we want to hear from people who knew them personally so we can write an obituary remembering this person’s life. Please reach out to us at [email protected] so we can learn more about this person.
One last thing: We take mental health seriously. Our last print issue, which you can read here or pick up on stands, was dedicated to mental health. If you have thoughts of suicide, reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
You may not agree with Tuesday’s story’s phrasing, but we hope you understand it. So we ask again, what headline would you have put? What additional information would you have put?
Kristen Grau is the managing editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her at @_kristengrau.
Cameren Boatner is the editor-in-chief of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].
Patrick Linehan • Dec 4, 2019 at 5:07 pm
The short and sweet of how I feel:
I am very disappointed with all aspects of this situation. The article was ignorant, not factual, and only caused chaos. I am by no means a journalist, but I do have a heart and a brain and therefore continue to question everything that was presented to us that day and how it was mishandled. And I do have some background on what I am about to say.
I personally spoke with Captain Ervin just days after the incident and have been following along since day 1. Ervin allegedly had no knowledge of your article (even days after it was released), despite it being the first thing on google that pops up via a simple search. So if it wasn’t the police that discussed it with the writers of the article, then where did you get your facts from while compiling the article? Shouldn’t the paper check with the police department before something so potentially powerful is released on what appears to be a whim? And lastly, after the overwhelmingly negative response from the FAU community to the misleading article…why on earth would you argue that you are right. Especially when dealing with students and parents who have experienced first hand what a few careless words can cause?
Please fill me in with what it means to relay news appropriately and ethically. And I prefer not to hear citations about how other newspapers around the US have done the same thing. As journalists, you should have exceptional knowledge of your audience and know right away that publishing the article was a poor choice. Do you even know how many MSD students read your paper and specifically the article in question? Do you consider how much psychological damage you can cause by releasing a half-cocked statement?
Basically, you provided the community with a rumor. This rumor was read by an audience that could have possible connections to mental illness and gun violence. Where was your wherewithal when it came time to put pen to paper and publish something like that? Should you not be putting energy into why the University has given faculty and students no information and doesn’t want to address it. I do understand the outdated protocol for a “breaking news piece” and the purpose of writing one, but why wouldn’t you cover something concrete like an official university statement? And if the university doesn’t provide one, why not push a bit to see why the didn’t?
As a newspaper, you had the opportunity to urge campus officials to release factual statements, but we feel nothing was done. One vague, anxiety-causing article was all that we got. Then, another follow up article that was essentially saying “Guys, its not our fault, this is just the way media works”.
And I have read your paper on several occasions. It’s a newspaper…so my opinion of it’s content having or not having any apparent biases is irrelevant. But when you put something out there that could possibly hurt others, as journalists, and as people experiencing similar negative stimuli from various sources of media every single day, I can’t accept certain things regarding the publishing of it. As new generational writers in a culture that is continuing to become more and more open-minded and aware, maybe you should start thinking outside the box in relation to media and its powerful ramifications. Maybe use your power of providing quick instant knowledge for the betterment of people, not just some catchy gossip. Be bigger than the other papers that were mentioned in your retractment article. This is why nothing has changed in the U.S. despite growing mental illness and violence. As cliche as it is to say, why not “dare to be different”.
In regards to Journalism, I understand there is a time and place for creative writing that allows for a little artistic freedom. And I’m good with that. However, this was not that case. I just hope something positive comes from this.
Mental Illness should be addressed..and not a half concerted effort of providing a CAPS number or suicide hotline. Real focus on real issues in a way that has a chance to help others.
To a new way of thinking,
Patrick
Harvey Lazar Valentine • Nov 19, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Kristen Grau, the way the article was written is insensitive and distasteful to the victim and their family and friends. Re-write the article. Maybe consider re-evaluating the way you cover stories.
Anthony • Nov 14, 2019 at 9:57 am
For those of you telling off those of us that were “offended” by the headline: What is wrong with you?
Rose was like a sister to me. She has a family, she has dozens of friends grieving for her right now, and you’re shaming us for grieving? For getting rightfully upset, no matter how journalistically accurate it is? Fuck you. Right now the issue isn’t about who wrote what correctly, the issue is that people are mourning, and the article was written in a way that felt like an insult to her memory. Whether or not it was done intentionally doesn’t matter. Let people mourn in peace and just apologize for the hurt caused.
Anonymous • Nov 9, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Watch people still find a reason to complain. Honestly just don’t write an explanation or apology for stuff like this because people are annoying and always have something negative to say. As long as you never do something with bad intention you shouldn’t feel bad about it. The headline did come off as kind of careless. But it really wasn’t such a big deal. R.I.P. to that poor girl and may her friends and family be able to recover soon from this.
Denise • Nov 9, 2019 at 12:02 pm
I think you did a great job. People today are quick to critisize, witness social media. I hope that people will stop being so critical of each other and learn to support and care for each other instead. Thanks for all you do.
Competent person • Nov 8, 2019 at 7:17 pm
The fact that you wrote an article to defend yourselves, challenging your readers to explain why your headline was awful makes you even more pathetic. It smacks of insecurity and defensiveness.
D • Nov 8, 2019 at 6:30 pm
At the risk of conveying a lack of sensitivity, I would like to say that there are certain ethical standards in place for journalists that I do think the UP followed. I don’t think the authors of the original article meant any disrespect or callousness to the student, but I can see how this felt that way, and I do think the journalistic response was appropriate, though I agree with “T” that the wording of the headline would have made a big difference. The original title really did make it sound like the student was an inconvenience that could be “resolved” so that “operations could continue as usual.” It also did not seem necessary to site a specific student who could not get to their car for 2 hours, only emphasizing the inconvenience sentiment.
The student’s death is nothing but sad, and my sympathies are with their family and friends who are mourning their loss, as well as anyone who was affected by this loss of life.
I think it is reasonable to expect some information from authoritative sources about an event happening on a university campus, and I agree with what some others have mentioned that this should not have had to have been the job of the UP. If a serious event resulting in the loss of life happened on campus, the campus authorities should have reported on it in a more informative way than “event in parking garage. Stay away from the area.” I have found FAU’s emergency announcements quite strange for some time now, and I think there is a way to provide a community with more substantial information about a possible emergency and still respect the privacy and/or the memory of the people involved, or avoid creating a mass panic. Contrary to belief, knowing more about a situation will not make people more afraid. It’s usually not knowing enough that does that. I understand that authorities need to be careful about only reporting facts and that often they tend to wait until all the facts are given before they share anything, but again I feel this should have been left to an authority and not a university newspaper.
The fact that the death has not been reported on outside of FAU has to do with the media needing to wait until the police have finalized the report (usually takes 24 hours) and, quite frankly, a broader community interest in the death, tragic as it may be, that would be needed for this to have reached a larger media outlet.
Since this death is significant for the FAU community, it is fitting that the FAU UP reports on it, though this also should be done with the time and attention needed to do justice to the memory of the person, as the authors of this article have said they would commit as soon and respectfully as they can.
Withheld • Nov 8, 2019 at 5:45 pm
Let me preface that the person in question I have known all my life since he is literal family. I thank you for not going into detail and keeping professional. It is the best thing to do for us during this time.
Joon • Nov 8, 2019 at 2:25 pm
Death causes blockage.
As opposed to garage blocked for several hours due to police investigation of student death. Your headline was ill-worded.
Ilaria • Nov 8, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Three days later, there is no other mention of this event in any other news medium (or at least I cannot find it).
This is much more problematic than your headline.
Jason Pelish • Nov 8, 2019 at 10:25 am
This is geared towards high school students and teachers, but I bet nobody teaching at FAU is doing anything as progressive, still. Learning how to discuss this is a skill. It doesn’t come naturally. Here’s a suggestion on how to build that skill.
https://www.4boca.com/how-to-do-top-of-the-news-for-students-and-teachers/
Sam K • Nov 8, 2019 at 7:47 am
I happen to be on campus taking an exam the morning this incident occurred. However, until hours after no one actually had know what happened. You may have titled the initial article a “road blockage” but you know what THANK YOU for even bringing awareness to the “police activity” messages students were getting. Everyone wants to be upset over how the article was titled but if you didn’t have any information other than what you could see with your own two eyes, no one would have known what happened or let alone a life was lost that morning. It is truly a sad situation that happened and my heart was heavy all day because of it. I have been praying for her and her family.
Megan • Nov 7, 2019 at 11:49 pm
The follow-up article should not be about clearing your name or making people “less angry” with the original articles title. The reason there was so much backlash was because of the insensitivity presented in the article and it’s title, and the response was intended to inform journalists of its callousness. In turn, the hope is that the journalists will understand the severity of the situation and not disregard a human beings life ever again. Instead, this article was published attempting to spare the publications name, and once again disregarding the victim and the true issue at hand. FAU, you need to do much MUCH better. I am truly disgusted.
Megan • Nov 7, 2019 at 11:48 pm
The follow-up article should not be about clearing your name or making people “less angry” with the original articles title. The reason there was so much backlash was because of the insensitivity presented in the article and it’s title, and the response was intended to inform the journalists of the callousness. In turn, the hope is that the journalists will understand the severity of the situation and not disregard a human beings life ever again. Instead, this article was published attempting to spare the publications name, disregarding the victim and the true issue at hand. FAU, you need to do much MUCH better. I am truly disgusted.
Kristina • Nov 7, 2019 at 10:44 pm
To Gina and everyone who agrees with her profoundly disgusting response, you clearly have not been directly affected by suicide. I did not know this woman, I was in class receiving the same texts as everyone else. When I learned, through the student body, why there was a “blockage” I became sick. The thought that I had been sitting in class for the past two days and never heard there was a DEATH DUE TO SUICIDE ON FAU CAMPUS was sickening to me. As a social work grad student we speak about suicide regularly. I am still shocked that as of today it has not been spoken about by faculty. Although I did not get to read the first article, it seems to have been removed?, I am able to read the headline- Death causes blockage. If you are a journalist and you still believe this was appropriate you have lost all sense of humanity which I assume you gave up when you became a journalist. Can you possible imagine the parents who read death causes road block. I am even more sickened by the fact that this has not been discussed in all classes and by all faculty, because simply providing a help website or number or even counselor does not address the issue. It should be discussed.
Quote: “Generally, AP does not cover suicides or suicide attempts, unless the person involved is a well-known figure or the circumstances are particularly unusual or publicly disruptive. Suicide stories, when written, should not go into detail on methods used.”
I’d like to say something about this as well, this woman was a TA therefore, well-known, and the circumstances were disruptive to any and everyone who witnessed it. While there was no reason to go into detail, FAU did an incredible disjustice to this woman and all of the sudden body by continuing to keep us in the dark.
I am a student who did not know Rose. I will keep her family and friends in my thoughts and prayers. I have experienced this trauma as an outsider and it is not easy. I hope everyone will seek the help they need to recover from such a tragedy.
:( • Nov 7, 2019 at 5:38 pm
i’m sorry but the article had nothing to do with the actual issue. it should have stated something about suicide but it didn’t. it, however, isn’t your job to make a statement about it. the responsibility is FAU’s and it pisses me off how little they actually care about their students.
Ev • Nov 7, 2019 at 5:33 pm
Thank you so much Sam! Well said. I don’t even want to comment this but who in this team decided that it was a good decision to ask for opinions on an article at such a time? And was there anyone to advise otherwise? You all out of all should know to include a diverse group of mindsets in any team aka people who don’t always agree with what “whoever is in charge” wants to publish. And if you all so care what exactly is being done? I literally just read about this event occurring and I’m a full time student. Please explain to me how the hell this damn school cares about anything but taking students money? They’re a political joke!! I’m still waiting for the president’s email regarding this. He’d deff email us if this had anything to do with money, sports etc. And yes I’m aware of the protocols for news of such.
I support you guys as a student myself and have to sympathize again as a student who’s trying to make it. But this is just not the time to debate over a human’s “A STUDENT “ life.
The person you should be seeking an opinion from is Kelly!!!!
Sam • Nov 7, 2019 at 4:33 pm
We don’t care about why you did what you did. It doesn’t make it any better. The publishing of this article, once again, shows the lack of care of the real matter at hand- Rose’s death. By coming out with this article defending your shitty title, you guys have successfully turned a suicide into an argument about a fucking title, which, by the way, is still a shitty one.
woodstork • Nov 7, 2019 at 12:11 pm
On a related note, why has there been no mention of this incident in the local news (radio, tv, newspapers, etc.)?
Seems really odd to me.
I commend you for giving us something.
Gina • Nov 7, 2019 at 7:56 am
I think the first article lacked sympathy and respect for those who have committed suicide. But I do appreciate you guys being the only ones to put out an article. This follow up was lame. We are not journalist, we shouldn’t have to give you feedback on how to write a title. Even if was not a suicide (It was) you could’ve wrote something alittle more light. I hope you guys follow up with a fantastic article about the beautiful soul that took her life.
Not a Snowflake • Nov 7, 2019 at 7:11 am
The amount of people who spend their time b*tching and moaning about how “your words hurt my feelings” is ridiculous. Absolutely and utterly sad to see how many people let their lives get shaken up because a headline/ story wasn’t written perfectly according to their standards. I can’t wait to see the melt downs when these folks get into the real world and realize that NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS.
Everyone can essentially “do better” with whatever it is that they are doing. Nobody is perfect. Unless you have a 4.0 GPA, a perfect attendance record, and are undefeated in a varsity sport or something of the sorts….sit down and shut up.
You guys are to be commended for one thing above all else: covering the stories that matter and not pulling any punches. Keep writing. Keep working. Keep growing.
Carlos • Nov 7, 2019 at 12:03 am
I advise you to please look at articles from other professional written publications if you don’t know how to write the title of a story dealing with suicide. There are many ways to keep professional journalistic standards while being sensible to someone’s death and their loved ones.
If in doubt, please try see the position of a friend, sister, or mother who has lost family in such tragic way. I think that would help with the silver line.
I also regret that you are asking the public about “how” to write a title. I think it’s out of place, as it’s not their job to write it, and condescending with a grieving community.
I hope you have learned from this experience.
To the family and friends of the deceased, my deepest condolences.
Joe Momma • Nov 6, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Fuck you, this shit sucks
Luna • Nov 6, 2019 at 8:47 pm
I found the original article to be callous and overall inappropriate given the circumstances. Instead of focusing on the fact a STUDENT COMMITTED SUICIDE, you discussed how they caused a blockage that prevented others from leaving. You treated their death as a minor inconvenience instead of what it is- a tragic, heartbreaking event that FAU refuses to discuss. You didn’t even try to have some tact- instead you just discussed the parking garage rather than the death.
It was a vile and repulsive article, and shows that death on this campus isn’t taken seriously, especially suicide. And trying to hide behind guidelines instead of apologizing for the article’s insensitive nature is appalling.
Jason Pelish • Nov 6, 2019 at 8:07 pm
I aggregate your headlines selectively at https://4boca.com. I have the ability to edit the headline I’m linking to. I rarely do that. But in this case I did. I edited it to read “Alleged Suicide at FAU near Library”.
It wasn’t a story about traffic being held up to me. The traffic mention seemed inappropriate.
It looks like a suicide, but that doesn’t mean it was, but you also have to reflect what the police believe so students aren’t paranoid there’s a killer lurking around campus, or no?
Stephan Schneider • Nov 6, 2019 at 8:04 pm
Do not hide behind the AP handbook. Covering suicide is a very delicate issue but let us be clear: you could have covered this story much better.
Let’s look at what the guidebook says: “Generally, AP does not cover suicides or suicide attempts, unless the person involved is a well-known figure or the circumstances are particularly unusual or publicly disruptive. Suicide stories, when written, should not go into detail on methods used.”
Two things to note: 1) such a guideline is suitable for a national, or even international publication like the AP, NYT, WSJ, NPR, etc… but let’s be real, you are not them. Such a guideline is understandable for major news organizations because obviously they couldn’t cover every suicide in the world/nation. In addition to wasted line space, that would lead to the question of who to cover and who not to. In any case, you cover FAU and its surrounding area (as relevant to FAU students). As such, with a much lower population, I hold that every student death is “unusual or publicly disruptive.”
Secondly, the last sentence of that paragraph is quite telling of their intentions as it relates to covering suicide. Note that they write, “ Suicide stories, when written, should not go into detail on methods used.” To be clear, that is not what you did. What you did was “suicide stories, when written, should not focus on the suicide.” In other words, you simply beat around the bush (or whatever the phrase is). You went out of your way to NOT report on the suicide even though that was the main story. As indicated above, you failed in your journalistic integrity because your job is to report the news to the community… and we have a right to know if our community suffered the trauma of a suicide.
Indeed, the very next paragraph in the AP style book further supports that rather than beat around the bush or not report on the suicide, careful steps should be taken to report on the story while maintaining the dignity of the individual you are reporting on. It says, “Avoid using committed suicide except in direct quotations from authorities. Alternate phrases include killed himself, took her own life or died by suicide.”
Simply put, you took the lazy and uncritical approach to analyzing and applying the AP handbook. In fact, I compare what you did to the Spanish River principle who egregiously took a “neutral” position when asked about teaching about the Holocaust. You both misinterpreted proper conventions and twisted them into something vile.
If you are going to turn to the AP stylebook, you need to think critically. Journalism is highly complex and as such, you cannot view the handbook as a simple checklist of what you should and shouldn’t say. You need to look at the overarching sentiment that these professional standards bearers hold when writing the guidelines. Indeed, had you done your homework, you would have found that John Daniszewski, VP of Standards for AP, wrote That “whether someone died from cancer, heart disease, or other illness, the exact cause often is an incidental clement in the story. Usually, we focus on their lives and what they accomplished and were known for. does that mean that we should not mention the method of suicide at all? In many instances it may not be necessary to say anything other than that the person died of suicide.”
https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/how-and-when-we-report-on-suicides
I know that as student journalists, you are still learning how to act properly. I am hopeful that you can learn from this experience. As I mentioned in the beginning, covering trauma, especially a suicide is incredibly difficult. It requires a delicate touch. However, UP did not act delicately. To the contrary, it had no touch whatsoever. Perhaps you were so afraid to apply a heavy hand that you avoided contact whatsoever. What is the result? You fail to report the story accurately and you fail in dignifying the person our community lost.
A • Nov 6, 2019 at 7:52 pm
I completely agree with T. “Police investigating death near parking garage, causing blockage.” Would have been perfect.
Instead of a lengthy explanation of how you followed a manual of sorts, Perhaps you should apologize if your callousness was insensitive to the deceased’s family and friends.
Max • Nov 6, 2019 at 7:51 pm
The orginal headline and report was accurate and informative, i am dissapointed, as usual, that FAU refuses to notify and update students of events such as these. As always keep up the Good work 👍
Anonymous student • Nov 6, 2019 at 7:31 pm
Please, continue to inform the student body. As a student at FAU, I’m extremely unsettled by the lack of empathy displayed by the administration. We have had multiple student deaths within the last year alone, and no statements are ever made. The university buries tragedy with the hope of continuing to grow. If possible, please continue to release information regarding this incident. I cannot stand feeling like I’m in the dark as a student. Thank you for your work.
Stephanie Chang • Nov 6, 2019 at 7:13 pm
I read this article and the original. I find no issue whatsoever and appreciate you guys for taking the time to follow up.
I feel that the original article was respectful, clear and concise.
Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
Someone with a brain • Nov 6, 2019 at 6:51 pm
Idk why people were ganging up on you guys when we should be ganging up on FAU. Not a single staff member has addressed this and simply shrugged it off as an inconvenience to the people who couldn’t get into the parking garage. Do we seriously mean so little to the FAU staff?
Joan Dian • Nov 6, 2019 at 6:44 pm
Cover what you said and defend yourself. We want justice for the victim. Not this story to make you more well liked. You didn’t even express how you wished it could be different or how deeply sorry you are. Shame on you.
T • Nov 6, 2019 at 5:35 pm
I’m both a graduate of FAU’s multimedia journalism program and now a mental health counselor, so this is really tough. I think this could have made a difference: “Police investigating death near parking garage, causing blockage.” It attributes the accountability for the blockage onto police and not the one who has passed.
Hunter • Nov 6, 2019 at 5:23 pm
I do not ever comment on articles but I, and I am sure many others, found your reporting fine and professional. I only write this assuming you might need some reassurance that you did the right thing after being bombarded by a ton of ridiculous comments.
Solid work.
– Average Sane Student