Officer struck by brick as mounted police clear Occupy DC tents from federal park

[Leopolds Ghost]

40. An interesting discussion

Reposted not as a point of process (this is not Help/Meta) but because it might shed some light on journalistic discussions regarding Occupy.

> > > "Citizen Journalist" does not meet the criteria for "mainstream website and blogs"
> >
> > Yes it does.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Not in this forum

LBN follows standards of journalism I assume.

Per academic standards of journalism, when no secondary source is available, which is the case, primary sources are acceptable reporting.

> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The article you linked to says "Saturday Morning" Your own limited OP does not even mention any time other than from the the article you linked "Saturday Morning"

Are you aware of the issue in question? I am sure the AP article, included as background info, mentioned that police arrived in the morning but it is public information that protestors were cleared from the park in the evening. The article appeared in the Daily Mail which is in a different time zone also.

> > This is news of national interest, not General Discussion. It is not related to politics. It is related to an important national news issue with multiple stories related to it.
>
> I understand it an important news issue, however, your very limited reporting of the event seems to be only your headline and a link to an AP story. The only information you added is "15-year old girl injured in face by baton"

> It's implied, but you did not report the police hit the victim with a baton.

Yes.

> How badly was the girl injured. Was there blood. A contusion? A cut? Bruising, etc?

Yes. Do you wish me to do in-depth reporting on it? I considered doing an in-depth story at the time; however by your own standards you would not accept reportage from Occupy citizen journalists. Perhaps you could suggest a publisher who would be interested in funding it.

> Did the 15 year old seek or get medical attention?

Further reporting would be needed on that issue. Did the police officer seek or get medical attention?

> What was the girl's name and where is she from?

I have access to that information from witnesses, it is inappropriate to give it to anyone else since it was an assault on a minor.

> I am assuming there were other witnesses around. Did you interview them? Why is that not included in your report?

Yes. Are you requesting names and faces?

The reporter (me) will be unable to interview them a second time in all likelihood since they are going to be arrested and removed from Freedom Plaza (without witnesses, since no other persons from the DC area were in attendance to observe, report on, or cover the story) Sunday morning.

> Did you get a photo of the victim?
> Did you interview the officer?
> Did you ask for a statement from the police?
> Did the girl fill out a police report?

I'm not sure you're aware of the context here.

> Most journalism classes would tell you to the the who, what, when, where, how. I am just not seeing that information in your post/report at all.
>
> Thank you.

I am really not sure why similar questions were not asked (by editors across the country) of the story posted above. Why was the same brick story posted in every major publication, web or print, that is available on Google when you do a news search on DC occupy? How were people at the GA able to predict what would be said on DU, a forum most of them do not follow? I see no information given for the brick that was thrown at the officer, where and whether the officer was hospitalized, although, following basic journalistic principles, I have no reason to doubt it happened.

One idea is that Occupiers could get together and send the officer flowers at the hospital. I am serious about this. It would help heal the divisions between Occupy and police, who are also members of the 99%.