But later that same day, Totenberg reported again on the story for All Things Considered . The report on Morning Edition centered on the legal circumstances leading up to the Supreme Court hearing, and the report on All Things Considered dealt with the questioning of the lawyers from the Supreme Court Justices. While the focus of the stories was different, the use of graphic description was entirely absent in the later report. We do not avoid offensive material that is necessary to tell the story. We work to strike a proper balance because, while listeners should not need to worry about inappropriate content, they should also be able to depend upon us to help them understand their world.
Details are important.
I think in this story we achieved the right balance. I think that Campbell and Totenberg were right to tell the story as they did. It is important to let the listeners know about why a crime happened. While most of what passes for reporting on crime in America is prurient and voyeuristic, this is not. The implications for the American system of justice are important and wide-ranging.