The WORD Blog

… It’s the Gun-Thing.

An email to my Advanced Reporting class after a tour at State Supreme Court Civil Division, 60 Centre Street, Tuesday, March 30 — The Deputy Clerk of the Court for years has been introducing my advanced classes to use of the court’s public records. The tours, depending on circumstances, last from 30-45 minutes and many students have benefitted from the tour: Some have been acknowledge for very good work in their internship positions because of their knowledge, others have come across really good stories. The end result, I like to believe, is that they understand the importance of supplementing their reporting skills with research techniques and knowledge, like how to use public records.

I recall how one student, good but not one of the best and not especially interested in journalism, lit up like a firecracker when he learned that he could do background research on Hunter. He used information from a civil suit to confront a former Hunter President about asbestos in the College’s dorms on the lower east side. This happened several years ago. There was no asbestos – the College had done an investigation, according to records – but his confronting the President made for a good story in an Hunter student news publication at at time that students were concerned about what they breathing.

So:

Students,

I’m writing this because I might have pushed everyone’s P-Button at 60 Centre Street, Tuesday, March 29 [sic], and want to make a clarification about a comment I made after the tour ended at Manhattan State Supreme Court Civil Branch. I said the group had been shadowed by an armed security guard … 

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