Reporting the news
I would like to say that this is a hypothetical question but it isn’t. What does a blogger do when he gets a lead on a story that the main stream press has passed over or does not know about?
I really have a three fold problem.
One. The lead isn’t big news and likely anyone outside of a one county radius would care less. The thing is some parents in one community may want to know about it.
Two. The lead is on a story that has nothing to do with the main subject matter of my blog. I have never posted on anything close to what my lead is. Should I throw an out of place story into a libertarian gun nut blog like No quarters?
Three. I do not have the ability to properly research the details. What legal rights do I have to get arrest records or business ownership papers? Throwing out “un-named person” or “unknown business” isn’t a story and likely will make me look foolish in the end.
What responsibility do I have to report this story?
[cross posted on No Quarters]
January 6th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
Are you in Knox County and does this have anything to do with school buses?
January 6th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
P.S. I’m not sure what you mean by not having the ability to properly research the details. Arrest records, business ownership, etc. are all public records. All you have to do is ask. In my experience, public officials are usually cooperative. They sort of have to be by law.
As far as business ownership, you can start with the Secretary of State website in whatever state is involved. Every one I have ever been to has a way to look up ownership records online. Even if they don’t, all you have to do is ask the state or the county where they are registered. That’s why businesses have to register, so anyone with a beef or a lawsuit or a UCC filing can track them down. Pretty much standard across the U.S.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
Regarding #2, I can say that my blog is all over the place and it doesn’t seem to hurt matters. It’s not a bug it’s a feature.
January 7th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
“Two. The lead is on a story that has nothing to do with the main subject matter of my blog. I have never posted on anything close to what my lead is. Should I throw an out of place story into a libertarian gun nut blog like No quarters?”
Dude. You were fretting about going off the main topic of you blog only to follow it up about pedicures?
If you have something original even if simply local, go for it. The blogosphere is the new media. n army of davids as Glen Reynolds is always saying.
Regarding #3, arrest records are public information. Just look at thesmokinggun.com. I’m less sure about researching a business and what kind of public paper trail they leave. If it is an a corporation, there might be some public incorporation records.
January 7th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Bob, that was a post by gunner, a co-blogger. He also blogs here.
January 7th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Talked with someone in the media and have given the information to a local media outlet. I’ll let them run with the information.
January 7th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Sorry, my bad. I missed that Uncle wasn’t the author.
January 9th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
anything for site hits baby….