Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Susan Ladd's oldest daughter appears to be in line for a Say Yes to Education scholarship

There's nothing on it in today's article in the News and Record, and I'll not link or comment on it out of what little courtesy I have left for Susan.

When Ladd wrote;

As I left the gym, Ragsdale student Dominique Parker and his friends
 paused on their way to PE.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Parker asked. “Did we win something?”

“Yes,” I said. “You just won a free college education. All of you.”


Without mentioning her kid stood to reap the same benefits

After a second of silence, they all started asking questions at once.

“For real?”

“Not just community college?”

“If you graduate and get accepted to college, 
your tuition will be paid to the last dollar,” I said.


Without saying she would be off the hook for her personal bills as a result

“That is dope,” another student said, shaking his head.

Indeed it is.

The dreams of all students are now within reach.


Not 'all', but hers, and maybe some more in the next few years
before the program runs out of money like the other closed Say Yes chapters 

Starting with the Class of 2016, graduates of Guilford County Schools 
will have the opportunity to go to college and graduate
without taking on crushing debt.


Including their parents

Guilford County, with about 73,000 students, 
is the largest school system that Say Yes has taken on. 

That number exceeds the total students in Say Yes programs
in Buffalo, N.Y., and Syracuse, N.Y., combined.

Susan Ladd
Let's make the most of Say Yes
Greensboro News and Record

Susan might have wanted to mention 
she stood to personally benefit from the program

If they're in kindergarten through sixth grade, 
and graduate with that continuous enrollment, they're eligible for 100 percent, 
and then it goes down from there

Say Yes Guilford Executive Director Mary Vigue

http://www.realtorguarantee.com/currie%20realty-say-yes-to%20education-guilford.html
Maybe Susan didn't investigate Say Yes because she didn't want to know 
if future kids will be able to get their college paid for,
but her kids.

Sustainability only meant for as long as it takes to get her kids through.

Chances are her kids aren't in charter schools.

She should have disclosed she stood to gain when she advocated 
for Say Yes to Education coming to Guilford County

It probably doesn't matter to Susan 
if a fifth grader won't be able to get one of the scholarships 
if she doesn't have one

Imagine a reporter who wrote in favor of a program
she didn't bother looking into,
so she could get money to send her kid to college in the short term
without figuring out the likelihood of others getting the same money later

It looks like that's what just happened
.
.
"An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

Not

Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair.

Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

Journalists should:

Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work.

Verify information before releasing it.

Susan didn't verify much of anything on Say Yes
other than what she was told by Say Yes

...neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy.

– Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story.

Susan Ladd promoted Say Yes for her own personal benefit

– Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story.

Didn't happen

– Be cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.

Susan told an entire community college bills would be paid for 
without figuring out how the promises were made

– Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.

Susan didn't disclose her motivations

...Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing.

...Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.

Not

Give voice to the voiceless.

...Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open, and that public records are open to all.

Not

– Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience.

...Journalists should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.

– Label advocacy and commentary.

The News and Record stopped labeling advocacy 
by letting Susan Ladd's commentary publish anywhere in the paper

– Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information.

...Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.

Journalists should:

– Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.

– Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles...

Susan used juveniles as props to get herself some subsidization
for her own kid

...Consider the long-term implications of the extended reach and permanence of publication.

Provide updated and more complete information as appropriate.

Act Independently

The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.

Journalists should:

– Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

How is this for conflict Steven Doyle?

– Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.

– Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money...

Who was offering Susan Ladd money while she was advocating for Say Yes?

Say Yes

– Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.

– Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

Be Accountable and Transparent

Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public.

Didn't happen

Journalists should:

– Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences.

Encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news content.

– Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness.

Not

– Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently...

– Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations. 

– Abide by the same high standards they expect of others."

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp