All Blog Posts from Public Eye

Growing up, I was always told to not speak ill of the dead.

But what about when there’s bad news about the deceased that’s newsworthy? It’s a tough call. Right now, many in Boston are trying to figure out where the line is drawn.

Two Boston firefighters died in the line of duty late August, trying to put out a blaze in a Chinese restaurant. They were praised citywide as heroes. Two Boston Globe headlines around the time of their funeral read “A Solemn Farewell” and “Love Infuses Firefighters’ Rites.” A local newspaper editorial read "The Grieving Process Has Begun."

Then came the bombshell.

Last Thursday’s Globe article shocked the city:

One of two Boston firefighters who died fighting a fire in a Chinese restaurant in late August was legally intoxicated at the time, and the other had cocaine in his system, two officials said yesterday…

A government official briefed on the findings of the state medical examiner's office said [Paul J.] Cahill registered a blood-alcohol level of .27 in the autopsy, which would have placed him at more than three times the legal limit, while [Warren J.] Payne had cocaine in his system.

Neither official was specific about the amount of cocaine found in the firefighter.

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Since Mitt Romney officially announced his run for the 2008 presidential campaign, news outlets have been (repeatedly) asking how he will approach what they deem to be his biggest campaign challenge: being Mormon.

While the Romney campaign would not confirm or deny its authenticity, the Boston Globe has obtained "an exhaustive internal campaign document" that examines that question specifically.

The Globe writes of the document:

It acknowledges that some view Mormonism as weird and lists ways Romney should defend his faith, from highlighting the way he has lived his life, rather than which church he attends, to acknowledging theological differences with mainline Christian denominations while refusing to be drawn into an extensive discussion of Mormon doctrine and practices. It also suggests Romney might soon need to address the issue head-on, perhaps as John F. Kennedy did in a 1960 speech amid concerns about his relationship to the Catholic Church.

The document appears to raise the possibility of Romney delivering such an address at George H.W. Bush's presidential library outside Houston, the same city where Kennedy gave his. Enmity toward France, where Romney did his Mormon mission during college, is a recurring theme of the document. The European Union, it says at one point, wants to "drag America down to Europe's standards," adding: "That's where Hillary and Dems would take us. Hillary = France." The plan even envisions "First, not France" bumper stickers.

Asked about the document, a Romney campaign spokesman told the Globe that "if anything, it's a compilation of political conventional wisdom." Nonetheless, it's an interesting look inside some ultra specific concerns about Romney's image. Among them, writes the Globe: "His hair looks too perfect."

Bridget Moynahan, the former girlfriend of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, is having a baby. The Boston Globe put the story on its front page – above the fold, no less. As Adam Reilly notes, the placement prompted outrage from some boston.com users. Wrote one:

"My view is that for the Boston Globe to think this is news of the slightest interest to the public, let alone put it on the front page, is just one more sign of the slow, relentless death of a once great newspaper. If I wanted to read the National Enquirer, I would buy it. What I want is a newspaper, a daily journal that covers the meaningful local, national and international events of the day, provides analysis and context, investigates what the powerful wants to hide from us, and helps us be informed and effective citizens. Instead we get this voyeuristic trash. For shame."

Only one problem: As Reilly points out, "the Brady story is currently the most emailed item on Boston.com. Also, 'Tom Brady' is the most popular search."

He adds: "So maybe Boston's just getting the journalism it deserves here."

Media outlets are increasingly turning to their traffic stats to measure what stories their audience is interested in, which may be part of the reason the she's-having-her-ex-boyfriend-Tom-Brady's-baby story got such good play in the paper. Howard Owens looks at the dustup and wonders: "Are we in danger of letting reader stats dictate coverage?" Notes Owens: "There has always been an underlying conflict in journalism — readers complain about sensationalism, but accidents, crimes, natural disasters and gossip help sell papers and spike TV ratings. On the web, we just get to witness the conflict in real time. Journalists want to be high minded, but they also want an audience."

Will Sullivan is also weighing in, though he focuses on a slightly different topic: Bald Britney.

"Does Britney Spears' shaved head really warrant being on the home page for three days straight?" he asks. "You don’t need to preach to me about using click-throughs as a tool for users to tell us what they want (which for so long most newsrooms have ignored, instead just force-feeding their definition of what’s 'news') … But it’s really a slippery slope. Just because there are stale editors that don’t want to acknowledge that people’s interest are different than everything traditional journalism preaches, doesn’t mean [journalism] should swing the total other direction and just become E! Entertainment Television."