Twister Coverage Varied Greatly in Area Papers
by May 17, 1999 12:00 am 91 views
Twister coverage varied greatly in area papers
When the worst tornado in recent history plowed through Oklahoma City on May 3, killing at least 43 people, Northwest Arkansas newspapers reported the event in very different ways. All of the local papers used Associated Press stories for the May 4 issues.
The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas gave the story appropriate play with a large headline across the front page stating “Tornadoes kill dozens.”
In the Northwest Arkansas edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the event made Page 1 but just barely — at the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
The Northwest Arkansas Times, which frequently runs end-of-the-world headlines on Page 1 for mundane local stories, published the killer tornado story on Page 8A. The Times, which has earlier deadlines than the other two local newspapers, used an earlier version of the AP story that indicated “at least four” people had died.
On May 5, the Times ran a follow-up story about the tornado on Page 7A while newpapers nationwide played the story on Page 1. Instead, the Times ran a Page 1 story about a tornado destroying a house near Hogeye. The Times typically reserves Page 1 for local stories, but we thought the paper would make an exception for the Oklahoma City tornado story, as the Times did for the Colorado school shooting story that it ran April 21 on Page 1.
We commend the D-G for sending a reporter and photographer to Oklahoma City to cover the aftermath of the tornado.