Who decides what gets in the paper?
Submitted by Rich O’Neill, President, Seattle Police Officers’ Guild
Ever wonder who decides what is newsworthy, what will be the front page headline or the top story on the five o’clock news? Given all that has been in the news about the Seattle Police Dept. over the past several years, wouldn’t it be newsworthy to cover an event that brought the community and its police officers together to celebrate the great work being done by law enforcement in our city?
Couldn’t the media free up a reporter or news crew to film the citizens who came to the Seattle Police Foundation’s 12 Annual Seattle Police Awards Banquet and lined up from one end of the Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom to the other so they could extend their personal thanks to their police officers.
Wouldn’t it be newsworthy to show the audience that the packed ballroom was made up of a very diverse crowd from all areas of the city? How about a if the evening news shoed how the officer have a standing ovation to the Total Experience Gospel Choir who sang a song of thanks to the officers.
Other than a few small blogs, this event was ignored by the Seattle print and broadcast media. I guess the editors and newsroom managers decided Seattle citizens would not be interested in hearing about the 14 Seattle PD officers who were recognized for saving the lives of complete strangers. Then there were the 16 Seattle officers wo received the Department’s second highest award – the Medal of Valor.
This is typical of our local media who have decided not to give the Seattle Police Dept. any positive press. I don’t think we have to wonder why most Seattle cops don’t read the local tabloids or watch the local television news. Our story, the real story, is never told.