Op-Ed Columns

The Star's recent article about the drug-testing of student-athletes at Jacksonville State University was thorough, interesting and important. But it was based almost completely on information from unnamed persons (March 24, Page 1A).

Anonymous sources are a bane of the news media. When information in a story is from "sources," readers cannot judge its credibility. Whenever possible, newspapers give the names of their sources and how they are qualified to give facts or expert opinions. Some newspapers refuse to use unnamed sources at all.

Most use them sparingly. Some of the best information can come from people with inside knowledge who protect themselves by insisting on remaining anonymous. The drug-testing story, by Al Muskewitz, did it correctly. It detailed The Star's efforts to get the facts on the record. It used information from anonymous sources "close to the athletic department." One was referred to as "a former coach of a high-profile JSU team."

Star's lecture coverage weak

The Harry M. and Edel Y. Ayers Lecture Series at Jacksonville State University is funded by the Ayers family, owners of The Anniston Star, in honor of two former publishers of The Star. Yet The Star's coverage of the event was weak.

This year's lecture, by New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., was not mentioned in The Star until March 11, the day before the lecture. The "If you go" box with the story gave the time and place, but not the date. It was noted in the story, by Nick Cenegy (March 11, 1A).

The March 11 information box gave the time of the lecture as 2 p.m., but a front-page box in the March 12 Star said the time had been changed to 1:30. An editorial the same day gave the time as 2 p.m.

The Ayers lecturer usually addresses The Star's dinner for writers of letters to the newspaper. Sulzberger spoke to the letter writers this year; the only mention of that invitation-only dinner was in the March 12 editorial.

The Ayers lecture at JSU was well covered by Cenegy, with Stephen Gross photos (March 13, 5A).

Star series not convincing

In a four-part series, "Compressed air: Straining to hear democracy through the static," by John Fleming (March 2 through 5), The Star analyzed the impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 on the consolidation of ownership of radio and TV stations. According to the series, this led to less coverage of local news by the broadcast media generally.

The themes are well supported by expert commentary. However, the series was not convincing in its premise that the 1996 Act led to the dropping of local news coverage by radio stations here. The move of Channel 40 to Birmingham did reflect the national trend toward consolidation of TV station ownership, yet, as the article notes, Calhoun County radio stations continue under area ownership.

There is less local news coverage than there was "25 years ago." Is that because of the 1996 Act, or is it due to economics? News coverage isn't as profitable as other forms of programming.

Perhaps the weakening of public-interest standards by the Federal Communications Commission following the 1996 Act made it easier for stations to drop news coverage. But some area stations had no local news reporting before 1996, and I believe the trend toward less radio news began before that time.

Story needed coverage

On March 16, people gathered in the Talladega National Forest to dedicate a brass plaque marking the connection of the Pinhoti Trail to the Appalachian Trail. It was an important news event.

There are two things that newspapers do about an important event. One is to cover it. The other is to report it promptly. In this case, The Star did publish two stories about the trails' connection and the ceremony's events beforehand (March 15 and 16). The Star did not, however, cover the plaque's unveiling on March 16.

The Star did carry two columns by participants in the event on the Insight front (March 23, 1E). The columns were by Pete Conroy, director of JSU's Environmental Policy and Information Center, and Joe Cuhaj, vice president for publicity of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society. The photo of the plaque was by Conroy.

Newspapers do not normally ask those who make the news to report it as well. The columns were appropriate for the Insight section and were well displayed.

Some March glitches:

• On March 13, The Star's TV schedule had no times (4D).

• On March 20, the Dow Jones stock average dropped 293 points, but on The Star's stocks page, the arrow indicating the day's movement pointed up (3B).

• On Wednesday, March 12, the Sports front (1C) was dated Friday, March 7.