Kirk Wessler/Journalistic Standards

[SFP]

If more people stop buying and reading this drivel then it will go away! When something causes me pain I stop and take care of whatever the root problem is!

Don't buy the PJS!

daPAWW1 has it right! Also add to this is, do not open up their articles on the web! We can complain until we are red in the face but all they will do is go back to the companies that advertise on their paper and on-line site and show them the stats. If no one buys or opens said site do you think they'll get the same advertising dollars. As the dollars shrink from their section guess what happens? Two things, they get canned or they start changing their tune in order to be able to market the rag to more people. As long as you buy the paper and click on their columns please do not complain anymore, you are only helping their cause. I get all I need about Bradley from this site, Jim Les live and BUBraves.

[SFP]

Every newspaper in the world has Kirks and Jerks working for it. I'm still going to log on to it beacuse they have other writers that are good and I like to read about womens sports, HS sports, baseball, etc.. I like the quotes that Dave puts up. When BradleyFans gets a reporter to put up quotes from the coach and players after the game, I might reconsider. I thought a site only makes money if you click on the add, none of the adds pertain to my region so I don't click on any of them, am I right or wrong on this?

They measure both traffic and clicks to each page. You do not have to stop going to PJS web-site to have an impact just do not click on those links to the journalist you want to boycott. I'm going to just boycott the whole site which has a bigger impact on them as a whole.

There's journalist in my local pub that I do not bother clicking on, not because I disagree with their point of view it's that their writing skills for the proffesion is just terrible. There are so many different mediums out there we can chose who and where we want to get our new from. I do not have time to read hacks!

[Lakeview Brave]

He didn't commend Glasser, he only said he'd be willing to accept the actions she took.

Plus, I checked with a medical authority, and by commenting publicly on a drug test taken by a private individual....
unless there is a signed authorization from Mike Suggs himself, then it may have violated the strict Federal Medical Privacy Act (the HIPPA Law) to publicize this.
The reason this doesn't apply to the Ray Brown situation is that the university, to whom Brown already yielded such authority, had already made those results known, making such information public.
BUT not so in the case with Suggs, since no public release of such a test result was ever made, and I know of no announcement of the reason Suggs left or the cause, except for the same rumors that existed.
On Nov. 18, 2004, Dave Reynolds called Mike Suggs transfer "VOLUNTARY".

"...voluntary exodus of talent from The Hilltop beginning with Ben Coupet in '96 and ending with Mike Suggs this fall"
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/ssectio...HA5T.071.shtml

Your medical friend would be right except that HIPPA does not apply to journalists at all. Only doctors, nurses and other health care providers.

[tornado]

I have never said KW is subject to the HIPPA law, but the publication of such information as is covered by the law,
would REQUIRE that someone violate the law, since otherwise the info MUST REMAIN confidential and is not to be released publicly.

http://www.hipaa.samhsa.gov/Part2Applicability.htm

Are you saying it IS within journalistic standards to release private medical information that if even a journalist gets his hands on it without Suggs' express permission constitutes a violation?

Did you not note this...in fact they did it TWICE recently in a two day span!

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/022308/TRI_BFS3Q3HA.061.php

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/022108/TRI_BFRG0PO0.057.php

The City of Peoria just a few days ago improperly released sensitive, private information - health related info, and specifically asked the Journal Star not to release it, and profusely apologized for doing so.
This kind of thing is standard in the journalistic industry, that they occasionally will get access to private info, but they are generally responsible and don't make it public.
So why was Suggs' drug test made public? Have you seen that report or confirmation of it being positive anywhere up 'til now??

[BU_EMT128]

Your medical friend would be right except that HIPPA does not apply to journalists at all. Only doctors, nurses and other health care providers.

Your not entirely correct.... The HIPAA act is all inclusive to anyone who treated, or has record of the patients PHI (Protected Health Information). This includes Doctors, Nurses, Insurance agencies, Schools, and any other entity that may have your health information. If the journalist had permission to view the PHI, he still would HAVE to receive written permission to publish anything out of it. If this permission was not gained, he violated the HIPAA act.

[Bravesfan]

All I remember is him commeding Glasser, not Les.

"On the heels of the drinking incident comes the arrest last weekend of Daniel Ruffin, who is charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. Ruffin was suspended immediately, as he should have been. He missed two games before president Joanne Glasser determined he could be reinstated.
Given what we know about the case, I trust her decision."


He never mentioned specifically that the suspension was Glasser's decision. Her decision he is talking about is Ruffin's reinstatment.


"Other voices differ. And some will point to the not-too-distant past for examples of Les's players unable to keep their noses clean; using these to compile a resume that suggests lack of program control.
But I would say, from what we know, Les handled those situations well. Jabbar Battle was suspended for several games after an arrest for domestic assault. Mike Suggs and Ray Brown were ultimately kicked off the team for failing drug tests."


Here Wessler did commend Les for his handling of some earlier situations, but Wessler also said that Kyle Whelliston's article was too harsh for suggesting Les be fired.

Yes, I'm not too sure where exactly Wessler stands with Les's job performance overall, but here I give Wessler credit where credit is due.

[lefty]

If you didn't have the Star,PL, and KW what would you all post about?

[Beninator]

If you didn't have the Star,PL, and KW what would you all post about?

Probably the next person dumb enough to be photographed in a cow costume.

[tornado]

The only discussion about the local writers is generally when they are wrong, off base, or misinformed.
Here we try to keep a higher standard of truth and fairness.

[Lakeview Brave]

Your not entirely correct.... The HIPAA act is all inclusive to anyone who treated, or has record of the patients PHI (Protected Health Information). This includes Doctors, Nurses, Insurance agencies, Schools, and any other entity that may have your health information. If the journalist had permission to view the PHI, he still would HAVE to receive written permission to publish anything out of it. If this permission was not gained, he violated the HIPAA act.

No a journalist cant violate the HIPPA, only the person he got the information can.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/consumer_summary.pdf

It is quite possible that KW has no official medical source for his information. A journalist in a can speculate and or report rumors if he chooses. Weather that is responsiple or ethical is a different story but he certainly has the right. Suggs could choose to sue the paper for liable but he along with school administrators would have to testify under oath that he never failed a drug test. In addtion he would have to prove damages. Also "the truth" is an absolute defence against liable/slander.

[boogietime]

The only discussion about the local writers is generally when they are wrong, off base, or misinformed.
Here we try to keep a higher standard of truth and fairness.

We "know" they are all these things because of some of the posters "insider" status with Bradley. But what about all of the links to papers around the country that have negative stories about the college programs they cover? How do we know these writers are not wrong, off base or misinformed?

[MacabreMob]

We "know" they are all these things because of some of the posters "insider" status with Bradley. But what about all of the links to papers around the country that have negative stories about the college programs they cover? How do we know these writers are not wrong, off base or misinformed?

That is a VERY good point boogietime.

Once an individual begins questioning all writers credibility from the drive-by media.... that individual IMO has "advanced to the next level".

[Da Coach]

You mean other colleges have problems? I though Bradley must be the only one and the worst one of all time from what I have been reading.

[tornado]

No a journalist cant violate the HIPPA, only the person he got the information can. ...

There certainly are people who would disagree witbh you on this.
Unions that release medical info have come under HIPPA scrutiny, and so have state organizations that are not healthcare providers.
Even a police report that is made public has fallen under scrutiny, but....

.. probably the reigning fact is that virtually nobody anywhere in the nation has yet to fear the HIPPA law, simply because it is an orphan law with no federal agency to either investigate or pursue violators.

But again...the topic, if we could only stick to it, is that it most certainly is as much a violation of common standards for a journalist to openly and publicly discuss someone's private and protected medical report as it is for a doctor or a nurse to do it.

[Murph]

Once an individual begins questioning all writers credibility from the drive-by media.... that individual IMO has "advanced to the next level".

Like if a person thinks the whole world is crazy, that person should take a look in the mirror to see who's crazy.