Deciding What's Fair

Chapter 29 of our text covers how to edit for fairness. Are people part of a story by choice or chance? Does a story make light of people at their expense? Are people and issues treated differently in similar situations? It tells us how to answer those questions and make those distinctions. It even gives us examples on page 194 and tells us how to make them fair on 195. I'm not sure if I agree with our textbook, though.

The first example gives a quote from the fiancée of a man who was killed over what might have been a drug argument: "He loved to fool around, get drunk, and get crazy. Me and him was inseparable, except when we were fighting." The suggestion to make it fair is to write "'He loved to fool around,' said his fiancée, adding that they sometimes fought but were inseparable." While I understand that the man is dead and the fiancée might be emotionally distraught, I don't think that justifies making those kinds of changes. The changes that the book proposed completely altered mood and tone of what the fiancée said. Is it really up to us (the editors) to decide how she was feeling and whether or not her words are valid when we didn't even interview her?

I have a similar problem with the second example we're given. In this one, the home of a man who has been arrested and arraigned on a child pornography charge is being described. "A dented trash barrel at the curb stands in stark contrast to the neatly placed plastic garbage cans in front of the house next door. Grass grows between the stepping stones leading up to the wooden porch steps in need of some paint. A crudely printed sign on the front door states: Please knock. Bell broken." The suggestion to make this example fair tells us that maybe the ugliness associated with child pornography is being projected onto the man's house. The books says that an editor could suggest to get rid of the negativity and make it more neutral. To me, the description read as honest. Obviously I haven't seen the house that's being described, but a dented trash barrel is a dented trash barrel. Steps in need of paint are steps in need of paint. What's the problem if the reporter is describing the situation exactly as he/she sees it? If the man's house is ugly, I don't think an ugly description should be avoided merely because child pornography charges are also ugly.

I'm starting to feel like I won't be very good at editing for fairness.