The Cadets and GH history of sexual abuse (news article)

[Fran Haring]

1 hour ago, garfield said:

Well said.

I think this is a significant part of what I'm feeling.

Is there a desire for balance when initially reporting a fire-hot topic?

50 victims over 37 or 38 years.  Almost 2 a year.  Tragic.

But there were 126/148 other kids for whom this tragedy didn't unfold and who went on to great lives treasuring their years with Cadets.  Do they deserve some time in this discussion?

A little balance in the reporting will go a long way without sacrificing readership.

 

I agree, it would be great to see some positive press about drum corps, more often than what we've seen through the years. 

But in the case of the allegations that have come to light in the Philly paper, this particular reporter's job is the story at hand.

This might be a tortured analogy/example.... but when I was a radio reporter, I covered a few of what I would consider to be significant fire disasters in the city/region where I worked (the megalopolis called North Jersey, one city or large town on top of another).... a block of row homes burning, a fire that resulted in fatalities, etc.  Not "good news" stories by any stretch of the imagination.

My job, then, was to cover that fire.... anyone injuries/deaths, what caused the blaze, any collateral damage to nearby buildings, any environmental impacts, and so forth.  My job, at that time, was not to do a feature on the fact that there were tens of thousands of other homes that would almost certainly never experience such a tragedy... homes that were up to code, had smoke alarms, weren't owned by slumlords,  had adequate heat so the residents didn't have to use risky kerosene heaters, etc.

I would love to see a front-page story on how hard the members of any given corps work to achieve their goals.  But I guess my point is... don't expect it from this reporter covering this particular story. The "positive feature on how cool drum corps is" would literally would be a story for another day.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Fran Haring

[JimF-LowBari]

Fran had a discussion at work years back along the same lines, wish I could remember what it was about. Anyway probably thousands of buses had safe trips in the last few days and that it so common it really is not really “news” just same old same old. Then there are the tragedies in Canada with the hockey team and one in NY(?) where the bus got the top sheared by an overpass. Thank goodness they are rare so that they are brought to peoples attention.

Edited April 10, 2018 by JimF-LowBari

[Terri Schehr]

24 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

I agree, it would be great to see some positive press about drum corps, more often than what we've seen through the years.  Perhaps that's the job of a given circuit or corps to put their PR people (to the extent such an entity exists....LOL) to work to plant the seeds for those stories, to make local media aware that this great thing called drum corps exists.

But in the case of the allegations that have come to light in the Philly paper, this particular reporter's job is the story at hand.

This might be a tortured analogy/example.... but when I was a radio reporter, I covered a few of what I would consider to be significant fire disasters in the city/region where I worked (the megalopolis called North Jersey, one city or large town on top of another).... a block of row homes burning, a fire that resulted in fatalities, etc.  Not "good news" stories by any stretch of the imagination.

My job, then, was to cover that fire.... anyone injuries/deaths, what caused the blaze, any collateral damage to nearby buildings, any environmental impacts, and so forth.  My job, at that time, was not to do a feature on the fact that there were tens of thousands of other homes that would almost certainly never experience such a tragedy... homes that were up to code, had smoke alarms, weren't owned by slumlords, were simply built better, had adequate heat so the residents didn't have to use risky kerosene heaters, etc.

I would love to see a front-page story on how hard the members of any given corps work to achieve their goals.  But I guess my point is... don't expect it from this reporter covering this particular story. The "positive feature on how cool drum corps is" would literally would be a story for another day.

The Chicago Tribune has done some great stories about the Cavaliers throughout the years.  Very positive.   http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-drum-corps-met-20140806-story.html

Edited April 10, 2018 by Terri Schehr

[HockeyDad]

1 hour ago, garfield said:

Well said.

I think this is a significant part of what I'm feeling.

Is there a desire for balance when initially reporting a fire-hot topic?

50 victims over 37 or 38 years.  Almost 2 a year.  Tragic.

But there were 126/148 other kids for whom this tragedy didn't unfold and who went on to great lives treasuring their years with Cadets.  Do they deserve some time in this discussion?

A little balance in the reporting will go a long way without sacrificing readership.

 

 But it never goes that way. For example, We don't hear about the great work from hard working Penn State professors and researchers. We only hear about Sandusky. 

Even more reason to be disgusted. Not with the reporter who's just doing what they do, but with Hopkins, who brought this all on.

[HockeyDad]

39 minutes ago, dbc03 said:

Performed each year in front of millions who couldn't care less and just want halftime to be over. 

Same as people sitting at DCI shows just waiting for it to be over. 

[Fran Haring]

12 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

The Chicago Tribune has done some great stories about the Cavaliers throughout the years.  Very positive.   http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-drum-corps-met-20140806-story.html

That's good stuff. It would be great to see more of that.

Topic for another thread, I'm sure... but I wonder if more corps could do a better job at getting the word out that they actually exist in their chosen home towns/regions. Can't have good press if the press isn't even aware that a corps is part of the community. 

[Terri Schehr]

1 minute ago, Fran Haring said:

That's good stuff. It would be great to see more of that.

Topic for another thread, I'm sure... but I wonder if more corps could do a better job at getting the word out that they actually exist in their chosen home towns/regions. Can't have good press if the press isn't even aware that a corps is part of the community. 

I loved that one member, John O’Neill, was from where I live.  

[wonker]

53 minutes ago, dbc03 said:

Performed each year in front of millions who couldn't care less and just want halftime to be over. 

 

13 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

Same as people sitting at DCI shows just waiting for it to be over. 

Come on, guys.  Cut it out.....or at least take it somewhere else.  This petty argument has no place in this thread.

[BigW]

1 hour ago, Fran Haring said:

I hear ya... but the "man bites dog" stuff sells more papers.

I sound like Charles Foster Kane here. 

A friend has told me, "If it bleeds, it leads".

[BigW]

1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

Plus those from 82 would have shot you lol

Nah, Jeff. I like Fran. A lot. And  I feel he's not singing it just for himself.

 

Considering we prolly had the flat out goofiest corps song known to the activity, Anyone who'd be kooky enough to sing it would be welcome.

Edited April 10, 2018 by BigW