I don't know how to deal with this knowledge about my profession, that behind our posturing about the public's right to know, we're really just story scavengers, searching for the tasty morsel somebody else has missed. Have them call the newspapers and television stations and tell them whether you want to be interviewed and whether you want the media at the funeral. We in the media could take this burden off grieving families. We could all get together and agree to send one representative to the victim's family to ask if they will speak to the public. We could share the interview, if they wish to give one.
Some judges already require television crews to share footage of videotape shot in their courtroom.
Nothing stops the media from doing this but our own self-interest. We're not so different from the alarm salesmen as we would like to believe. Finn is a Gazette reporter. Write a letter to the editor .