"An Awful Truth to See"

• Networks' plans for Katrina anniversary week

Sun Herald Video newly made public shows the hogtying and beating of Harrison County, Miss., jail inmate Jessie Lee Williams Jr., who died 18 months ago.

Paper Posts Video of Inmate's Fatal Beating

Sun Herald

"Until the recent trial of two former jailers, the graphic images of what happened under color of law to Jessie Lee Williams Jr. have been kept secret, sealed by federal court orders. U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. made the video available in response to the Sun Herald's public-records requests and a resulting lawsuit that asked for the documents to be unsealed and returned to the public domain.

"The public's first access to the video of Williams' beating was at sunherald.com, where it was posted Tuesday afternoon."

In an accompanying editorial , the newspaper said, "We received the evidence on Tuesday. You may choose to view it or not. It is there to see if you wish to do so. The tape is graphic, disturbing and represents the worst instincts of humankind.

Sun Herald Photos were snapped by a surveillance camera every two or three seconds.

"So while it is an awful truth to see, this visual evidence of the madness that reigned in our jail is almost necessary to view to fully comprehend how completely order had been replaced by an out-of-control rogue force of jailers whose conduct has been more criminal than many of the inmates under their command and control."

As reported here in June, the Sun Herald, which shared in a Pulitzer prize for its reporting on Hurricane Katrina, which devastated its circulation area, disclosed the autopsy report that implicated the jailers in Williams' death, produced a three-part series on conditions at the jail and demanded that a videotape of the beating be made public.

"Filmed by booking-room surveillance cameras, the tape has no sound, but shows pictures snapped every two or three seconds from the time Williams was brought in to the booking room at 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2006 until an ambulance crew picked him up around midnight," Fitzgerald wrote in Wednesday's story.

"Jurors in a nine-day trial ending Aug. 17 found former jailer Ryan Teel guilty of conspiring to deprive inmates' rights, using unnecessary, excessive force in Williams' fatal beating and obstructing justice by writing a false report. Williams, 40, of Gulfport, died of brain trauma. Co-defendant Rick Gaston was acquitted of a conspiracy charge and other assaults that didn't involve Williams.

"Nine former jailers await sentencing in the federal investigation, which, according to prosecutors, proves a culture of violence existed at the Harrison County jail and may produce another indictment." Although Williams is African American, Fitzgerald told Journal-isms earlier, "It appears it was not a racial issue but an abuse-of-power issue." White, black and Hispanic inmates are all said to have been beaten, and the accused guards are both black and white.

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NABJ Urges That Louisiana's "Jena 6" Story Be Told

"The court's decision in the 'Jena 6' case has the potential to be ground-breaking and shift attitudes about race and justice in the United States. It is critical that news organizations cover this court proceeding with the same dedication and persistence that is given to stories such as the upcoming presidential elections and the recent trouble surrounding the Atlanta [Falcons'] Michael Vick," NABJ said Wednesday in a news release.

"In December 2006, six black students at Jena High School were charged with attempted second-degree murder for allegedly assaulting a white student who taunted them with racial slurs. In a previous incident, three nooses were found hung on school property. On June 28, one of the black students was convicted of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. He now faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison. Five other defendants were indicted in the case and will go to trial later this month.

"There is always a story behind the story," Ciara said in the release. "It's our charge, as journalists, to give a voice to the voiceless. The first reports are seldom a full account of what happened and why it came to be. Real journalism involves getting beneath the surface, examining the roots, and creating a compelling story no one can ignore. That's the challenge and opportunity for stories like the one in Jena, Louisiana."

• Associated Press: Bail denied for "Jena Six" defendant
  
  
• Abbey Brown, Alexandria (La.) Town Talk: 'Free the Jena Six' T-shirts banned from Jena High School
  
  

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David Garcia, Pioneer TV Journalist, Dies at 63

KNBC.com David Garcia

"If his surname was a novelty in the business back in the early 1970s, his talent and doggedness as a reporter quickly made that an afterthought to those of us who were his colleagues.

"He covered the White House during the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations. To put that accomplishment in perspective, even by 1983, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists says there were still only three Hispanics in network journalism.

"Among the stories he covered were the Camp David Accords and the Salt II treaty.

"Later as Latin America bureau chief for ABC News, he covered the assassination of Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Garcia as well as the eventual Sandinista takeover.

"Garcia was honored with 14 Emmys and nominated for more than twice that number.

"He was also generous with colleagues and competitors, eager to talk over stories at the end of the day. He believed it helped the public if everyone covering a story was well-informed, and was confident enough in his own work to believe that even when he shared notes with competitors at the end of the day, he'd get ahead of them the next day."

• KNBC-TV, Los Angeles: Award-Winning LA Newscaster David Garcia Dies At Age 63
  
  

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New Orleans Paper Urges Bush, "Treat Us Fairly"

It referred readers to an editorial inside the paper that said:

"Despite massive destruction caused by the failure of the federal government's levees during Katrina, despite the torment caused by FEMA's slow response to the disaster, despite being hit by a second powerful hurricane less than a month later, Louisiana has had to plead to be treated fairly by our leaders in Washington. . . In reality, Mississippi has gotten a larger share of federal aid."

The main headline on the page was a big "Thank you" for "the kindness of strangers, whether in the first desperate days of exile, or even now in the slow slog of rebuilding."

• Paul J. Gough, Hollywood Reporter: Networks learn harsh lessons from Katrina
  
  
• Earl Ofari Hutchinson, New America Media: After Katrina — Poverty Is Still America's Shame
  
  
• Walter Mosley, the Nation: Shouting Underwater
  
  
• Joe Strupp, Editor & Publisher: New Orleans, Biloxi Papers Mark Katrina Tragedy
  
  
• Networks' plans for Katrina anniversary week
  
  

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Suro Leaves Pew Hispanic Center for Annenberg

Pew Center Roberto Suro

Paul Taylor, like Suro a former Washington Post reporter, is serving as acting director and is heading up the search for a new permanent director of the Hispanic Center, according to the Center's Web site. He is executive vice president of the Pew Research Center, the parent organization of the Pew Hispanic Center and six other projects.

"Born in the United States of parents from Puerto Rico and Ecuador, Suro has more than 25 years of experience researching and writing about Latinos, most recently for The Washington Post. He also worked as a foreign correspondent for Time Magazine and The New York Times in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Suro is author of Strangers Among Us: Latino Lives in a Changing America," according to Suro's biography.

Gabriel Escobar, who became associate director for publications at the Center after leaving the Post, where he was city editor, became metropolitan editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer in June.

Suro could not be reached for comment, but an Annenberg spokesman said he had begun teaching.

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Sports Illustrated Hires Two Black Senior Writers

Jim Trotter

Damon Hack

Trotter, who covered the NFL and the San Diego Chargers for the Union-Tribune, will cover the NFL for the magazine, and Hack, a golf writer at the Times, will be covering the NFL and golf, Terry McDonell, editor of the Sports Illustrated Group, told Journal-isms on Wednesday.

Since Jan. 1, McDonell said, the publication has hired three white males, four Asians, two Hispanics, three African Americans and five women.

On that list are Jay Soysal, a designer, Helen Jung, an administrative assistant, Sarah Kwak, a reporter, and Pablo Torre, a reporter, all Asian; Fidencio Enriquez, a reporter, and Leon Avelino, an editorial operations manager, who are Hispanic; and Hack, Trotter and Tracy Mothershed, an editorial operations aide, who are African American.

Sports Illustrated has been facing tough competition for talent from ESPN, which offers multimedia platforms. Columnist J.A. Adande, who took a buyout at the Los Angeles Times, told the Web site the Big Lead in June, "I wouldn't say I 'turned down' Sports Illustrated because I'm not sure it ever came to a formal offer. Yes, Sports Illustrated Managing Editor Terry McDonell called me when he found out I was leaving the Times. I was flattered that SI would think of me, and McDonell had some intriguing ideas for what I could do for them. But I couldn't continue to appear on 'Around the Horn,'" an ESPN show, "in that scenario."

He went on to call Sports Illustrated "the greatest writing brand in the history of sports journalism."

McDonell said as much. "Some people recognize that SI is a better place for them to work," those who are more concerned with "the level and quality" of writing and are comfortable in the writing environment SI provides. "We do more literary journalism," he said.

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Half of Blacks Polled Think Vick Was Over-covered

"Vick's legal troubles attracted a large news audience last week, ranking as the public's most closely followed news story along with the devastating floods in the Midwest and the situation in Iraq," the Center reported on Tuesday.

"One-in-four Americans said that they followed the Vick story very closely and 18% said it was the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week. The media, however, devoted far less coverage to the Vick story than to news about Iraq, the 2008 presidential campaign and weather-related stories.

"Overall, the public believes Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, has been treated fairly by the press, but there is a sharp racial divide on this issue. While 69% of whites say the press has been fair in the way it has covered this story, only 38% of blacks agree. A narrow majority of blacks (51%) say Vick has been treated unfairly by the media.

"In spite of these differences, blacks and whites agree that the Vick story has been over-covered. Roughly half of whites (49%) and 56% of blacks say news organizations are giving too much coverage to this story. Very few whites or blacks say the story has received too little coverage (5% and 13%). Nearly four-in-ten whites (38%) and 28% of blacks say the Vick story has received about the right amount of coverage.

"Blacks have paid closer attention than whites to this story as it has evolved over the past month. In late July, 32% of blacks vs. 20% of whites followed allegations that Vick had been involved in illegal dog fighting very closely. Similarly, this past week, as Vick agreed to plead guilty to the federal charges leveled against him, 32% of blacks paid very close attention compared to 22% of whites. Fully 37% of blacks listed Vick's legal troubles as their most closely followed news story last week, making it by far the top news story of the week among blacks. For whites, the most closely followed stories were the floods in the Midwest and the situation in Iraq."

• Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post: Michael Vick's Self-Defeat
  
  
• George E. Curry, georgecurry.com: Michael Vick Let the Dogs Out
  
  
• Jemele Hill, ESPN: Coverage of Vick means bigger issues ignored
  
  
• Sandra Kobrin, Women's eNews: Beat a Woman? Play On! Beat a Dog? You're Gone
  
  
• Monica Lewis, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Moral of the Vick Story for Black Athletes, Says Sports Journalist Bill Rhoden: 'Never Relax'
  
  
• Star Parker, TownHall.com: Who is sicker, Vick or PETA?
  
  
• Joseph C. Phillips, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Yes, Michael Vick Should Be Punished for Breaking the Law, But Jail Time? That's Excessive
  
  
• Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: Blame it on Vick, not on ghetto culture
  
  
• Michael S. Schmidt, Ron Thomas and Dave Zirin, "Talk of the Nation," National Public Radio: Race Played Role in Vick Coverage, Critics Say
  
  
• Tonyaa Weathersbee, BlackAmericaWeb.com: If Vick Really Relished His Place as a 'Role Model,' That Apology Should Help Him Retain It
  
  

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Short Takes

• A 26-minute documentary, "Below the Fold: The Pulitzer that Defined Latino Journalism," tells the story of how a group of young Latino journalists shocked the newspaper industry when they won a Pulitzer for their L.A. Times series called "Southern California's Latino Community." They became the first Latinos ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. Prize winners George Ramos, Nancy Rivera Brooks, Louis Sahagun and Frank Sotomayor were to be present for the premiere Tuesday at the University of Arizona.
  
  
• "The first attempt to bring a presidential debate to Indian Country was more whimper than bang last week, as only three Democratic candidates for president showed up at the Morongo Band of Mission Indians reservation in Southern California for a scheduled debate, and none were named Hillary or Barack, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) News Argus editorialized on Wednesday. But "a lack of first-hand access to presidential candidates" should not "trick us into thinking our votes don't count."
  
  
• Sonja Steptoe, Time's senior correspondent in its Los Angeles bureau, which has undergone cutbacks, next week joins the Los Angeles office of the law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP. A spokeswoman for the firm declined to say in what capacity.
  
  
• Leo Garza, a conservative cartoonist who did the local "Nacho Guarache" cartoon for the San Antonio Express-News for 20 years, has been laid off, public editor Bob Richter wrote on Aug. 19. "I can't think of another paper in America that has two cartoonists (we did), and Leo was simply a victim of the numbers," Richter wrote.
  
  

• Sibila Vargas

  Sibila Vargas, a CNN entertainment reporter and anchor, will become an anchor of the morning show on Houston's Channel 26 on Oct. 1, Mike McDaniel reported Tuesday in the Houston Chronicle.
  
  
• Commentator Andy Rooney vented his ire on Thursday about baseball in his syndicated column, the New York Times reported. "I know all about Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, but today's baseball stars are all guys named Rodriguez to me," Rooney wrote. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said it," Rooney, 88, told the Times. "I certainly didn't think of it in any derogatory sense." He added, "That's what I do for a living, I write columns and have opinions, and some of them are pretty stupid."
  
  
• "How often is it that a reporter gets the chance to do a story on a town bearing the same name as his? Well, that's just what happened to NBC's Ron Mott, who received an invitation to cover the second annual Tractor Fest in Mott, North Dakota," TV Newser reported on Wednesday.
  
  
• On Monday, Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" reported on the funeral of trailblazing jazz drummer Max Roach, on Friday, attended by 2,000 people in New York's Riverside Church. The show played excerpts of tributes from Bill Cosby and Maya Angelou and interviewed Amiri Baraka, Roach's biographer, and Phil Schaap, award-winning jazz historian, both friends of Roach.
  
  
• "Reporters Without Borders is stunned by the four death sentences imposed yesterday by a military court in the eastern city of Bukavu" in the Congo, "for the murder of UN radio journalist Serge Maheshe at the end of a trial riddled with absurdities. Two of the four people sentenced to death were close friends of Maheshe who were with him when he was gunned down on a Bukavu street on 13 June," the organization said on Wednesday.
  
  
• A court in Cameroon's northwestern town of Kumbo has sentenced in absentia Wirkwa Eric Tayu, the publisher of a small English-language newspaper, to a year in prison, according to the national secretary of the Cameroon Journalists' Trade Union. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday, "The sentence was related to alleged press offenses by the newspaper, which published a series of stories claiming corruption in the local government this year."
  
  

Richard Prince's Journal-isms originates from Washington and is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (Full disclosure: Richard Prince works part time at the Washington Post and is editor of the Black College Wire.) It began in print before most of us knew what the Internet was, and it would like to be referred to as a "column." For newcomers: The words in blue (on most computers) are links leading to more information. The Web site BugMeNot.com provides passwords and user names to some registration-only news sites.

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