A sacred cow. Covering these sacred cows can be one of the biggest challenges facing an editor. It can make or break a newspaper s reputation. Aggressive coverage may win journalism prizes but can anger readers and advertisers. How the hometown paper comports itself in the maelstrom of big-story coverage says a lot about its values and sensibilities, its willingness to balance journalistic aggressiveness with an appropriate level of restraint, John Armstrong, editor of the Contra Costa Newspapers in Walnut Creek, Calif., wrote in a column earlier this year.
Some editors take the view that sacred cows make the best hamburger.
Consider what happened in Corning, N.Y., in September when the daily newspaper, The Leader, reported that one of Corning Inc. s major business lines was in serious trouble. Angered by the report, senior executives ordered two of the newspaper s boxes removed from the company s property and deposited on the Leader s loading dock. Or what happened last October, when The Seattle Times reported on the rudder problems of the Boeing 737 jetliner. In both cases, the publication of unwelcome news about The Company in a company town put the local editors in the hot seat. There s no substitute for fair and accurate reporting.