Former Graphic journalists reflect on controversial reporting NATALIE HARDT | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Controversy permeates modern news, and the Graphic is no exception. Over the past 10 years, the Graphic faced criticism for a variety of articles, from reporting on student DUI arrests to sharing video content of a crash on PCH to a special edition on drugs. Three former Graphic journalists break down the controversial stories they reported on and emphasize the importance of including opposing perspectives while remaining objective. The reporters also provide advice on how to broach traumatic topics with sensitivity and fairness. “Now more than ever, us, as journalists, need to think about being more objective because that’s really what gives us credibility, especially when you’re talking about controversial issues in controversial times,” former Graphic journalist and 2015 Seaver alumna Maria Prada said. Two Sides to (Almost) Every Story In 2014, the Graphic reported on student Jacob Norte’s arrest on suspicion of a DUI following a
car crash. Members of the community accused the Graphic of spreading rumors and not being compassionate or fair to those involved, according to a follow-up opinion piece by 2015 alumna Breanna Grigsby. The controversy culminated in the theft of 275 copies of the Graphic. “As members of the Pepperdine community, we always strive to be sensitive and compassionate toward our fellow community members,” Grigsby wrote. “However, while being compassionate, we cannot abandon our job to report the news. We neither intend to teach a lesson by publishing this story nor to make an example of those whose actions came under scrutiny.” Following the controversy surrounding the DUI article, Prada wrote an in-depth profile exploring Norte’s experience. “Rumors began,” Prada said in an interview with the Graphic. “People started saying that it was because he was drunk when really there was a story that was much more profound behind this boy and the mental health issues he was dealing with.” Prada said she reached out to Norte with the
Ali Levens | Photo Editor
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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021
