Bit of a dilemna

I agree, almost wholeheartedly.
That doesn't mean I wouldn't have a conversation with the mom. Explain the possible community health issue.
I add this counter-caveat: The parent's responsibility and our responsibilities often do not coincide. In a general sense, if I/we stopped making uncomfortable phone calls we're not serving anyone.

 

On a side note, huntsie, you gramnar skills need a little tweaking.


Nice

Thanks for your contribution to the discussion, boys and girls. Dashed off the description of the situation in a hurry and didn't spell check. Figured there was a bigger issue than spelling involved. Guess I should know better

 

Your spelling was fine huntsie.

 

I think it should be up to the mother if she's willing to tell her story. I'd make the argument that her story may help save mothers of other small children from the same agony she and her child just went through. However, it's not your call to give her number to the reporter.

If a story is to be done, she'd be a good person to speak to provided that another reporter does the interview and that she's willing to talk. If she's not, then don't force her to do so. That might damage your relationship with her and that family.

 

i have to side with spirited on this. it's not your place to give her phone number to anyone if she doen't want to talk. i'd speak to her myself about why i felt she should talk and give her the reporter's phone number and let her decide if she wants to talk to them.

 

From a journalism perspective, giving the number of a salmonella outbreak's victim to the news editor or the beat reporter or whatever is ethical and responsible.

From a personal perspective, giving the number of a friend who has told you she wants to move on and not talk about it any more to someone who you know will call her and ask her to talk about it is moral and irresponsible.

The two are mutually exclusive. Ultimately you have to figure out which one's more important and make the call based on that. I don't envy you.

 

I've come down on the side of the mom. They're our neighbours right next door, good friends, and the extent of my trying to talk her into doing a story was the fact that people should know.
But there were six other victims. I've decided the paper can talk to one of them.

 

I'm not sure I get it. Did you talk to mom and ask if it is OK if someone from the paper talks with her? Most people say they don't want to talk to the paper but you can change their mind pretty quick. What's the harm to them?

 

I mentioned it, but didn't push it. She's a young mother who is simply glad to have her little boy home from the hospital. She tortured herself wondering if there was something she could have done differently, and I guess doesn't want readers to do the same.
She did nothing wrong, of course. But she's just glad it's over with and doesn't want a media swarm -- because radio and television would pick up the story with the little boy as the most vulnerable victim.
I can certainly respect that. I don't want to talk them into something they'll regret and have it change the nature of our friendship.

 

dilemna?

 

I work in health care and see this with parents of children all the time. They do not want to put the children through media scrutiny. Many of the parents complete a strict privacy so media can't bother them about doing interviews.

 

A 2-year-old?