Abstract

CSJ-10-0029.0 This radio reporting case asks students to consider what to do when their reporting may harm the subject of the story. National Public Radio (NPR) reporter Laura Sullivan is researching the cases of two men held in solitary confinement for 36 years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola , Louisiana . By September 2008, her reporting is coming together and she asks the prison authorities yet again for permission to interview the two men who, partly as a result of the questions Sullivan has asked, have been moved into a group cell. The prisoners’ lawyer has confirmed they would welcome an interview. But the prison spokesperson not only denies Sullivan’s request but also notifies the reporter that if the prison becomes aware an interview has taken place, the two men will be returned to solitary. Sullivan and her editor are left to mull what to do. Can they run the story without a recorded interview with the two principals? Complicating matters, Sullivan is persuaded the two were wrongly convicted. How can she not report what she has learned? What responsibility does she have to the well-being of those she profiles?

Use this case to help students understand the special challenges of radio reporting. Radio stories must include actuality (recorded conversation) as well as ambient sound to give listeners a sense of being in the scene. Sullivan struggles to obtain such material for this story. Students can also discuss what happens when the concept behind a story changes: should Sullivan continue to focus on the challenges of solitary confinement, or switch to an examination of the men’s judicial case, or even of their guilt or innocence? Finally, use this case to examine the complex relationship between authorities and a beat reporter. How does a reporter preserve both independence and access?

This case can be used in a course on radio reporting; beat reporting; or ethics.