Charles Apple

Seems like the trend in U.S. newspapers is to show less transparency these days. We don’t report our own difficulties — layoffs or bankruptcies or shutdowns or executive bonuses or newspaper properties going onto the market — anything like we do the other businesses we cover.

But here’s an interesting counterpoint: Four years ago, the tiny Daily News of Bowling Green, Ky. — circulation 20,690 — covered the DUI arrest of a former sheriff’s deputy whose family had suffered tragedy. As you can imagine, readers howled in protest. Managing editor Mike Alexieff wrote a response, saying, in part:

Driving under the influence is the leading cause of fatal accidents on Kentucky roads.

…And yes, if I get a DUI, you can be assured an article about it will be in the newspaper.

So, over the weekend, that actually happened. Alexieff was arrested by a game warden on Federal property — the Mammoth Cave Parkway — and ticketed for:

• Stopping, standing or parking on a limited access highway
• Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol
• Possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle
• Failure to maintain control of a vehicle

So what happened? See for yourself, in the bottom right corner of page one:

Not only did the paper run the story of the arrest, but also Alexieff resigned. Effective immediately.

Don’t get me wrong: It’s sad this has happened. But this kind of transparency is good for journalism. We should come clean like this more often.

Find the Daily News story here.

Poynter’s Jim Romenesko blogged this today.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 14th, 2010 at 3:46 pm and is filed under Industry woes, Newspapers, Small papers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.