Irresponsible Reporting on SF death ?

[babydoll2002]

Irresponsible reporting on CP's behalf ....

The first amendment of the constitution gives us these freedom of speech..

The question obviously that begs to be asked is “ When do these rights become taken advantage of?â€

On the front page of clubplanet.com today, dated September 16, 2003.

The story of a 21-year-old man who collapsed at a club, and subsequently dies.

The article goes on to say how the Victims family stated to police that the 21 year old man was taking medication for a blood disorder and an enlarged heart.

The tragedy that this family must endure apparently is not subject to the loss of their family member. Apparently, it is also subject to the implications, and opinions of, what is more than likely, a high school graduate writing this article., trying to scandalize and also trivialize his death .

The article goes on to discuss the drug-related problems that SF has had in the past. How undercover police were able to buy drugs in this club

I ask you this question, “What does the clubs history have to do with the death of this young man?†Does CP really think they are being responsible journalists by publishing this on their website?

Isn’t the testimony of the FAMILY enough for them, or are they under the impression that they are on an episode of NYPD Blue?

After what this family must endure, how dare clubplanet make inferences to drugs and implications of wrongdoing on his part?

Who are they, the sole jury? I think not. When the truth is revealed, will CP do the responsible thing and print the truth on their website, just as big, and grand as the original piece? I think not!

For those people that didn’t know this Victim, he is an unfortunate victim of a bad heart.. A terrible tragedy of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him . Thanks to clubplanet many will see him as he was protrayed by CP, a drug addict, and nothing more.

He was something. He was something to his family, he was something to his friends. He was a son, a grandson, a brother, and a friend, and that alone, should be reason enough to not make any kind of inferences as to the cause of his death

[PinkFloyd40]

i don't see any problem w/ the article... no where does it directly implicate the man in any drug abuse... it points out the obvious, that being a man died in a club where multiple drug related deaths have occured in the past which is sure to bring scrutiny to the club in the coming weeks... the article clearly notes the statements of the man's family but simultaneously notes the reality of the situation, namely that no one yet knows what the cause of death was and only the results of the autopsy will be able to enlighten us as to the truth...

[555-1212]

i can't believe you actually read the front page, i haven't seen that in years

[babydoll2002]

MAYBE if it was Your brother , or your friend, you would feel that way ........

[bbbooom]

Originally posted by babydoll2002

MAYBE if it was Your brother , or your friend, you would feel that way ........

pipe down

[babydoll2002]

Originally posted by bbbooom

pipe down

are u kidding me ?

have some compassion

[bbbooom]

Originally posted by bbbooom

pipe down

[firedup]

Originally posted by bbbooom

pipe down

Get a life...

[bbbooom]

Originally posted by bbbooom

pipe down schma

[berniec]

from the sounds of it they probably just copied and pasted the article driectly from the NY Daily news, who you shold target your anger against.

I agree with you there was no need to include the part about the bust there a few months back or the fact that they have smoke machines (WTF does that have to do with anything!!) but thats the state of the NY media these days

[babydoll2002]

Originally posted by berniec

from the sounds of it they probably just copied and pasted the article driectly from the NY Daily news, who you shold target your anger against.

I agree with you there was no need to include the part about the bust there a few months back or the fact that they have smoke machines (WTF does that have to do with anything!!) but thats the state of the NY media these days

you're right.. they probably did copy it

i'm sorry i'm just upset at the insensitivity of some people///

[danihawk]

I don't know who wrote the article, but it basically seems like they used this guy's death as an excuse to write another article about drugs at Sound Factory. It is entirely possible that drugs had nothing to do with his death, yet half the article is devoted to describing the prevalence of drugs there, the arrests, etc. This is extremely irresponsible and disrespectful to the person that the article is supposed to be dedicated to.

[berniec]

Originally posted by danihawk

I don't know who wrote the article, but it basically seems like they used this guy's death as an excuse to write another article about drugs at Sound Factory. It is entirely possible that drugs had nothing to do with his death, yet half the article is devoted to describing the prevalence of drugs there, the arrests, etc. This is extremely irresponsible and disrespectful to the person that the article is supposed to be dedicated to.

thats b/c the media gets tips from cops as these kinda things are happening, and in return for this 'coorporation' with nypd they try and come across with the viewpoint the city would like to put out to the masses (i.e. club = drugden)

the nypd has an entire office that is open 24/7 for media agencies to call in and get 'information' on things going on around the city.

its a shame most reporters fall into this trap...

[vixenfoxxy]

I don't think any of us feel we are the final jury, and the original post for this thread is riddled with misunderstandings itself. A lot of us, myself included, pointed out that it was ridiculous that they'd mentioned SF's reputation in the article, implying a drug related issue. Also, it wasn't written by anyone here - so if you want to go after someone for hiring journalists with a high school education, you're barking up the wrong tree.

[djinnom]

You accuse the news of implying that he died another way when no one really knows how he died. But in another breath you assume that he died of a heart condition. The truth of the matter is, it is publicly unknown how he died. Maybe his heart, maybe his heart reacting to drugs, or maybe just drugs.

Either go one way or the other. You can't play both sides. It makes you sound like a hippocrite who doesn't have a point. Unless you know something we all don't know, I'd keep to the facts and not blurt out that he died of a heart condition when it could have been a whole host of reasons why he died.

Then you go even further and blast CP for the article when it wasn't even their article. I see a pattern of not checking the facts on your part, which is EXACTLY what you are blaming the media of doing. If I were you, I'd follow your own advice before publicly blasting an organization again.

[fmumass]

a typical story format...

what happened and how

then bring up other (usually negative) points/facts/things about the scene of the event (SF)

happens all the time...read some AP stories or better yet anything on the whole Kobe thing...

FM

[babydoll2002]

Originally posted by djinnom

You accuse the news of implying that he died another way when no one really knows how he died. But in another breath you assume that he died of a heart condition. The truth of the matter is, it is publicly unknown how he died. Maybe his heart, maybe his heart reacting to drugs, or maybe just drugs.

Either go one way or the other. You can't play both sides. It makes you sound like a hippocrite who doesn't have a point. Unless you know something we all don't know, I'd keep to the facts and not blurt out that he died of a heart condition when it could have been a whole host of reasons why he died.

Then you go even further and blast CP for the article when it wasn't even their article. I see a pattern of not checking the facts on your part, which is EXACTLY what you are blaming the media of doing. If I were you, I'd follow your own advice before publicly blasting an organization again.

CP Printed this article on their front page, whether it was their own article or not.. Bottom line is that this kid died. The article was not about michael's life, the article focused on the assumption that everyone in SF does drugs and that there were several arrests made previous at SF.

Checking the facts?

How about I heard from his Family , and that is all i need to hear.

Have some compassion, this is someone's son!

Maybe, if you were at the wake last night, and saw his friends, and his family absolutely devasted, you wouldn't be so insensitive!

[djmikedr]

In Mass Media outlets like the papers (and CP), any and all associations will be percieved.

The first thing I thought was Drug related Death as we all probably did. Just look at the headline.

[vixenfoxxy]

Originally posted by babydoll2002

CP Printed this article on their front page, whether it was their own article or not.. Bottom line is that this kid died. The article was not about michael's life, the article focused on the assumption that everyone in SF does drugs and that there were several arrests made previous at SF.

Checking the facts?

How about I heard from his Family , and that is all i need to hear.

Have some compassion, this is someone's son!

Maybe, if you were at the wake last night, and saw his friends, and his family absolutely devasted, you wouldn't be so insensitive!

I didn't see the front page. If they put it up I think that totally sucks, because clubplanet should not be running stories that portray the scene or its patrons as users... if that's true then

BOO!!! clubplanet!

[danihawk]

Originally posted by berniec

thats b/c the media gets tips from cops as these kinda things are happening, and in return for this 'coorporation' with nypd they try and come across with the viewpoint the city would like to put out to the masses (i.e. club = drugden)

the nypd has an entire office that is open 24/7 for media agencies to call in and get 'information' on things going on around the city.

its a shame most reporters fall into this trap...

true..this is why journalism is going down the tubes

[berniec]

Originally posted by apotheosis

In Mass Media outlets like the papers (and CP), any and all associations will be percieved.

The first thing I thought was Drug related Death as we all probably did. Just look at the headline.

we think that way because we are in the scene, that kid who died didnt need that shit printed in the paper to make his family members (who prob have no clue what goes on at clubs) even more devistated - espically if he WASNT (and it looks like he wasnt) on anything.

if you've ever been to a wake for someone our age and seeing a sea of all 20-somethings mourning and a family completely devistated maybe you'd feel differently, i've seen this first hand and dont wish it on anyone- just wish some people would be more understanding at times like this

RIP

[caponeslistao]

I was there and I seen this man pass out. Its a real sin that this young man died. We should all show some respect for Micheal and pray for his family.

[bionic]

It's not a matter of having compasion or not, I think everybody has compassion and feels sympathy for his friends and family.

The issue here is somebody died at an age that is the same of most of the readers on this board. He died at a club that most of the readers on this board happen to frequent.

The story was pubished in a public newspaper. THIS IS NEWS, and news that I feel was rightfully shared with the other members of the board.

This article has been discussed on several other boards, as well it should. These are websites about clubs and this was news that happened in one.

You may not like the way the author of the article led readers to infer that there were drugs involved. Surely it's not fair to assume, but had this been somebody you didn't know, i'm pretty certain you wouldn't have given him/her the benefit of the doubt.

What I find truly sad is that in reading some of the members responses to the article on this and other sites was that they seemed more concerned with the bad press of the club, than the tragedy of a young life lost.

my .02

[babydoll2002]

Originally posted by bionic

It's not a matter of having compasion or not, I think everybody has compassion and feels sympathy for his friends and family.

The issue here is somebody died at an age that is the same of most of the readers on this board. He died at a club that most of the readers on this board happen to frequent.

The story was pubished in a public newspaper. THIS IS NEWS, and news that I feel was rightfully shared with the other members of the board.

This article has been discussed on several other boards, as well it should. These are websites about clubs and this was news that happened in one.

You may not like the way the author of the article led readers to infer that there were drugs involved. Surely it's not fair to assume, but had this been somebody you didn't know, i'm pretty certain you wouldn't have given him/her the benefit of the doubt.

What I find truly sad is that in reading some of the members responses to the article on this and other sites was that they seemed more concerned with the bad press of the club, than the tragedy of a young life lost.

my .02

Yes, i agree that it is "news" .. but .. they way they reported it was not respectful to the deased and or his family. Whoever wrote the article sensationalized Michael's death by saying that it happened at SF and infered for more than HALF the article that

SF is notorious for drugs. Did they say Michael was a good person, michael was involved in this activity, michael enjoyed doing this with his family or that with his gf.. ? No. They said, that he collapsed on the dance floor and mentioned the 80 some-odd arrests made at SF for drgs.

I don't care if he DID 100 Hits of XTC .. there was NO need for the numerous inferences to DRUGS ... this is someone's SON. and he should be treated with some respect.

and like i said.. when the truth comes out .. when the medical examiner says in fact that he DID have a bad heart, is CP or the Daily News or the Post going to print a CORRECTION as big and grand as they did the intitial story ?? IT's still NEWS? isn't it?! but it wont' sell as much as scandal does!

They put it on the front page.. are they goign to now put a correction on the front page?

i think not. But i'd love to be proved wrong.........

[bionic]

Originally posted by babydoll2002

Yes, i agree that it is "news" .. but .. they way they reported it was not respectful to the deased and or his family. Whoever wrote the article sensationalized Michael's death by saying that it happened at SF and infered for more than HALF the article that

SF is notorious for drugs. Did they say Michael was a good person, michael was involved in this activity, michael enjoyed doing this with his family or that with his gf.. ? No. They said, that he collapsed on the dance floor and mentioned the 80 some-odd arrests made at SF for drgs.

I don't care if he DID 100 Hits of XTC .. there was NO need for the numerous inferences to DRUGS ... this is someone's SON. and he should be treated with some respect.

and like i said.. when the truth comes out .. when the medical examiner says in fact that he DID have a bad heart, is CP or the Daily News or the Post going to print a CORRECTION as big and grand as they did the intitial story ?? IT's still NEWS? isn't it?! but it wont' sell as much as scandal does!

They put it on the front page.. are they goign to now put a correction on the front page?

i think not. But i'd love to be proved wrong.........

No question, scandal sells.. Sad but true, I agree.

Now don't take this the wrong way, I'm merely playing devils advocate here, but it's a newspaper's job to report the news.

The club was recently in the news for blatant drug activity.

The death is news. Where it happened is news.

The fact that the club was just recently closed down for drug activity is news.

What kind of person he was, is not news. The article never said he did drugs, therefore, techinally speaking, no correction needs to be printed. Certainly no correction is needed by CP or any other msg board for merely posting what was already a publicly dissemniated news article.

Now in my opinion, certainly the "right" thing to do would be to print a follow up when the autopsy results come back and say that it was the result of a pre existing heart condition, not drugs. The argument can also be made that a follow up article should be written if there were in fact drugs found.

I'm not saying he wasn't a nice kid, or even that he did drugs.

I know a lot of nice kids. They have girlfriends, good families, go to church etc etc. They use drugs, certainly they're families don't know nor do a lot of their friends. I'm just saying its possible, and thats what the article points out as well as the fact it was possible that it was from a medical condition.

It's obvious this hits home for you b/c your relationship with him/the family and are taking things a bit personally, but you need to also be a little more objective in my opinion...

Anyway, I'm sorry for the loss of any young life, regardless of circumstances. Nobody should die so young.