Re: Moscow suicide

["bill london" <bill_london@hotmail.com>]

Dan-
Of course it would be nice if rumors did not fly when an act of such 
significance occurs, but they will.  Period.
The way to short-curcuit the rumors is to have a timely release of the  
truth.
If the sheriff's office would have released the info on Tues PM, the rumors 
of guns in school, of danger to other kids, etc would not have happened to 
any degree.
I'm convinced the sheriff's office blew it big time on this, making it much 
harder for the family to deal with this tragedy, since they will always have 
to live with the rumors now too.
The rule in crisis communications to minimize damage to all concerned is 
immediate and factual release of information.
BL
ps. I am leaning on the sheriff's office on this since they were the lead 
agency here (the body was found in their jurisdiction).  The Moscow Police 
would have released info on Tues Pm if it had been their call, but the 
sheriff's office has a mis-guided policy on this.  So, the rumors flew.  The 
family was hurt even more.

>From: Dan Schmidt <schmidt6@Turbonet.com>
>To: "bill london" <bill_london@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Moscow suicide
>Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 18:44:27 -0800
>
>At 09:54 AM 4/29/99 PDT, you wrote:
> >Dan-
> >Thanks for responding with more info on this suicide and the release
> >of information about it.
> >I agree that the school officials and others behaved in an amazingly
> >caring and responsible way to their primary duties of
> >protecting/teaching the students.  That was wonderful.
> >However, I still believe that there was absolutely no reason for not
> >telling the media what happened.  As you noted below, the family was
> >fully informed by the late afternoon (Tuesday).  The mechanisms for
> >spreading the word and providing comfort for the students were in
> >place.
> >There was at that point (what time? 4pm 5pm? Tuesday) no reason not to
> >tell the press.  Issuing a two or three paragraph news release
> >summarizing the suicide and the responses by the school would have
> >taken no more than a few minutes.
> >But, was there a reason TO DO SO.  I argue yes.  First of all, there
> >is the public's right to know.  Public officials using public money
> >doing things in the name of the public--and we should know about
>it.*************************This is the issue I find pretty offensive,
>Bill. Which Article of the Constitution states the public needs to know
>about a tragic death within hours? No one had any thought of "hiding" any
>information...it's just hard to put the general publics "right to know" at
>the top of the list of things to do when this sort of tragedy occurs. The
>public got the information... it just wasn't at the cyberspace speed/CNN
>breaking news pace I find so offensive. And there is the question that one
>might somehow mistake news for the truth. Which comes around to point two
>and three.
> >Second, rumor control.  Unsubstantiated rumors floating around means
> >that the truth can get embellished and distorted.  It builds a climate
> >of fear in the community.  Third, copycat problems. Teen suicides can
> >lead to others to try suicide as well.  We all need to know when a
> >suicide occurred to be extra vigilant about the signs of
>suicide.********************************* We all need to learn to be
>thoughtful, judicious and RESPONSIBLE. And in the face of tragic events,
>reaction and blame can come too easy and too quickly. Does a press sharing
>the breaking news teach us to deal with these things in a mindful way?
>Rather do we become transfixed with the cult of information and superficial
>understanding that quick info gives? It is not the press or the public
>officials who are to blame for people spreading rumors or behaving in an
>irresponsible manner. That falls on each of our heads, may we keep them
>about us... Sorry Bill, I think the job done by the Police and Sheriff and
>lowly Coroners office was just fine... responsible and sensitive to the
>public we were trying to serve at that time, the family, friends and
>classmates of the deceased.**********************************
>       >In sum, I think the sheriff's department was very wrong not to 
>release
> >information to the public about this on Tuesday.
> >BL
> >
> >
> >>From: Dan Schmidt <schmidt6@Turbonet.com>
> >>To: "bill london" <bill_london@hotmail.com>
> >>Subject: Re: Moscow suicide
> >>Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 18:19:36 -0800
> >>
> >>At 09:24 AM 4/28/99 PDT, you wrote:
> >>>Did you hear the rumors floating around Moscow last night (Tuesday
> >>>night) about the suicide of a Moscow High student?  John Cronin
> >noted
> >>>earlier on this list that he heard that same rumor.  I did as well.
> >>>
> >>>So, to verify, last night I called the city editor of the Lewiston
> >>>Morning Tribune (Diane Pettit).  Yes, she had also heard the rumors,
> >>>but was not able to verify this because (as I understand it) nobody
> >in
> >>>the Latah County Sheriff's Office or Moscow City Police or Moscow
> >>>School District was willing to talk about this on the record.  She
> >>>assumed that someone would issue a press release today.  So, nothing
> >>>about the  suicide (if there was one) appeared in the Tribune today.
> >>>
> >>>I don't think that is good enough.  I think the public has a right
> >to
> >>>know this information and that it is the responsibility of the
> >>>police/school to pass that info on as quickly as possible.
> >>>
> >>>The public needs to know if it is true or not.  In this era of
> >copycat
> >>>suicides/violence by students, it is important for teachers/parents
> >to
> >>> know as soon as possible if there was a suicide.
> >>>
> >>>The rumors were flying, and the media was ready to print the truth.
> > I
> >>>think the local authorities need to make that truth available to the
> >>>media as soon as they know it.  Yes, and if that means establishing
> >a
> >>>meaningful communication system for contacts after 5pm, then let's
> >get
> >>>it together.
> >>>BL
> >>>
> >>>_______________________________________________________________
> >>>Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
> >>>
> >>>Bill,
> >>As an elected official and as a person often dealing with this sort
> >of
> >>information I find the "need" to talk to the press a manifestation of
> >self
> >>percieved importance on the part of the press. I agree, rumors are
> >often
> >>malicious and sometimes authoritative information can dispel the true
> >and
> >>sometimes misplaced human curiosity that rumor may represent. Still,
> >a
> >>reasonable delay in conveying this information to "the public" to
> >allow for
> >>family notification and solemnity is proper. The death occurred
> >around 1pm.
> >>Full family notification didn't occur til later in the afternoon.
> >Please,
> >>Bill, we are trying to do our job in a responsible fashion. The
> >"news"
> >>isn't always the first priority.   Dan Schmidt
> >>
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
>
>


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