What About the Other Gun and Living Will?

Although it’s still not clear exactly what the working agreement is for editorial copy between the Northwest Arkansas Times and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette (see story Page 10), it is clear that there are differences in the way the two papers report the news.

A recent example: On Aug. 29, the day after the shooting of John R. Locke, 67, a University of Arkansas professor, the Times reported that police found a “living will on the kitchen table in Locke’s home along with a 9 mm Glock pistol on the bed.”

The statement left all sorts of implications. Did Locke know he was going to be killed? Was he preparing for it? Did he get the pistol to protect himself? The story didn’t address any of these questions.

Here’s the D-G’s report from the same day: “Detectives found a handgun in an unidentified room and a living will under some papers on a kitchen counter. Living wills are documents directing that all measures to support life be ended if the signer is dying of an incurable condition. ‘I think everybody does that by the time they’re 60,’ said Carolyn Banks, Locke’s neighbor.”

Although the Times told us what kind of gun was found and where it was, the D-G was more responsible about the living will, explaining what it is, that it was in a stack with other papers and quoting a neighbor saying it wouldn’t be unusual for Locke to have one. The living will wasn’t sitting out on the table by itself for someone to find, as the Times story implied.

Why these two newspapers didn’t work together and get the best story possible on this important news day is beyond us. They have been sharing news copy since announcing their “alliance” Aug. 19.

Although the Morning News’ coverage was also thorough, that newspaper didn’t mention the gun or will being found at Locke’s residence.