What Not to do on Your Friends Next Birthday - 21 views

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  #1 Riley Kuffner on 02 Apr 13

   

  Manhattan kidnapping? Nope, a wicked birthday prank! Check out this brief article and video describing the situation.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/nyregion/manhattan-kidnapping-was-birthday-joke-police-say.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
  Quite an interesting predicament that had a lot of people including the police and witnesses up in arms for quite some time. Despite the great entertainment do you think that this article, practically promoting such pranks deserved coverage in the New York Times? Why or why not? Should the Tam news, being in a school environment, publish such an article if a similar event occurs? Why or why not?

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Manhattan kidnapping? Nope, a wicked birthday prank! Check out this brief article and video describing the situation. <br /> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/nyregion/manhattan-kidnapping-was-birthday-joke-police-say.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/nyregion/manhattan-kidnapping-was-birthday-joke-police-say.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0</a> <br /> Quite an interesting predicament that had a lot of people including the police and witnesses up in arms for quite some time. Despite the great entertainment do you think that this article, practically promoting such pranks deserved coverage in the New York Times? Why or why not? Should the Tam news, being in a school environment, publish such an article if a similar event occurs? Why or why not?</div>

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  #2 Aaron Newman on 04 Apr 13

   

  I read a proceeding story about this in the Monday Times, and at that point, the circumstances of the "kidnapping" were still uncertain; it could've been real or a prank, and they laid out the known evidence without bias. I think that the NYT was demonstrating responsible journalism by covering a mysterious "kidnapping" and, even in their story on Monday, clarifying the various possibilities regarding whether it was real or not. It's good to see that they followed up on this story as more truth emerged.
  
  Any press is "good press" for events like these, because when something goes in the paper, it seems more legitimate. I don't hold it against the Times for covering an interesting circumstance like this, nor do I see their coverage as an endorsement.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I read a proceeding story about this in the Monday Times, and at that point, the circumstances of the "kidnapping" were still uncertain; it could've been real or a prank, and they laid out the known evidence without bias. I think that the NYT was demonstrating responsible journalism by covering a mysterious "kidnapping" and, even in their story on Monday, clarifying the various possibilities regarding whether it was real or not. It's good to see that they followed up on this story as more truth emerged. <br /> <br /> Any press is "good press" for events like these, because when something goes in the paper, it seems more legitimate. I don't hold it against the Times for covering an interesting circumstance like this, nor do I see their coverage as an endorsement.</div>

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  #3 Billie Mandelbaum on 04 Apr 13

   

  I agree with Aaron that the NYT wasn't giving free publicity to the pranksters of the world. The reporter, J. David Goodman, provided detailed coverage by speaking with the New York City Police Department.
  
  I don't believe this article constitutes a "hard-hitting" news story. I think the NYT chose to cover this story because it appears from NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly's quotes that this incident caused quite an uproar in the Upper West Side. The police devoted "significant resources" to the incident and as a result I believe the public deserves to know about this event.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I agree with Aaron that the NYT wasn't giving free publicity to the pranksters of the world. The reporter, J. David Goodman, provided detailed coverage by speaking with the New York City Police Department. <br /> <br /> I don't believe this article constitutes a "hard-hitting" news story. I think the NYT chose to cover this story because it appears from NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly's quotes that this incident caused quite an uproar in the Upper West Side. The police devoted "significant resources" to the incident and as a result I believe the public deserves to know about this event.</div>

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