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News Story Analysis

                 With the exception of graphics, John Christoffersen and Matt Apuzzo covered every element of a well written news story in their article, “Connecticut Prosecutors Pursue Rowland Probe.”  Not only was their story filled with covered qualities, like timeliness, conflict, and proximity, but it also was very surprising in its information content and the direction that it took.  Throughout the piece, the authors make effective use of quotes to push their ideas forward, present a balanced view, and give summary to different parts of the article.

The article is timely because the prosecution of former Governor Rowland is about to begin.  Everyone will want to know how he is going to be prosecuted, and they will want to know pretty much immediately.  Prosecuting attorneys are clashing with defense attorneys left and right.  The conflict is not only interesting, but important to most people because civil liberties are in danger.  This is a story that is something that every person in Connecticut will follow.  Governors aren’t prosecuted every day.  Christoffersen and Apuzzo attributed the following quote to attorney Jack Fornaciari, “They haven’t repealed the Constitution in Connecticut.”  It brings the story home, highlighting the proximity to the people in this state.

I was genuinely shocked by the fact that prosecutors can subpoena defense attorneys, and have been doing so since the nineties, because, as an American, I thought those rights were sacrosanct.  But, the article was very clear, saying, “Conversations between attorneys and their clients are generally considered private, but courts have refined the boundaries between what is privileged and what is fair game.”

                 The article starts out with a very effective lead that gives the reader important background information regarding corrupt politicians in Connecticut.  It’s startling and almost jarring, but it does grab the reader and pull them into the story.  “Over the past 15 years, federal prosecutors in Connecticut have indicted four mayors, taken down a former state treasurer, put palm-greasing bankers behind bars and won a guilty plea from a top aide to the governor.”   The lead comes at you like guns from a bullet, case after case, making the lead successful.

Almost immediately, the authors take a different turn and present the actual thesis of their story, which is about how prosecutors are going about making these arrests.  This is all tied in with the backup for the lead, which states that, “In the past few months, prosecutors have subpoenaed records from two defense attorneys, demanded the testimony of Rowland's former legal adviser and seized materials from a private investigator.” Starting with background and then saying what your story is actually about is a different approach that works for the subject matter, because learning how many criminals have been indicted is the most shocking piece of information.

                 The nutgraph brings in the next juicy tidbit about how prosecutors are employing their newfound tactics across the country.  This is what gives the story balance, because it touches on both sides of the criminal justice process.  Primarily, what rights criminals are afforded versus how important it is to not have criminal politicians in office.   The lead quote supports the article’s equilibrium because it is from Joseph DiGenova, someone who has been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney.  DiGenova is quoted as saying, “There is a national assault on attorneys all over the country.”  This quote sums up the entire story.

                  The impact of the story is obvious, and Apuzzo and Christoffersen do a good job of conveying the significance of this civil rights issue.  They could do more to make the reader aware of exactly what this means to the average person.  They could also discuss the current trends of civil rights since the Patriot Act.  Despite these two things, they do a good job informing the reader of the impact on arrests made.  In some aspects, the article is a bit one-sided.  However, there is an attempt to make up for this with quotes from people like Fornaciari, who find this sort of meddling with the constitution scary.  Other defense attorneys were quoted, like Gerry Goldstein saying, “It's happening with alarming frequency from one end of the country to the other.”

                 Christoffersen and Apuzzo go on to present detailed background information about what exactly is going on in Connecticut and other states regarding defense attorneys being subpoenaed.  It’s this elaboration and background that are the strongest part of the story, because it shows how widespread the issue is.  Not only is it something that is happening locally, but also nationally, and the authors tell you where.  It makes readers from Connecticut feel very connected to the country as a whole.  This is where the basic qualities of news, like conflict, timeliness, and proximity come into play to make the article work. The elaboration is summed up by Hugh Keefe, one of the attorneys for Rowland’s chief of staff, Peter Ellef.  He says, “The attorney subpoenas clearly show a new chapter, not only in corruption cases, but in federal criminal cases generally.”

                  The article ends with a reaction quote that also gives an idea for future action on the part of defense attorneys.  Combining two types of endings is another strength of the piece.  It’s a valuable because it makes the reader feel like there is a possible solution and doesn’t leave anyone hanging.   Not only is the quote giving defense attorneys remedies, it’s also balanced because it comes from a prosecutor, Kevin O’Connor, “There are remedies. They can move to suppress.  If it is the wrong thing, presumably a court will say so.”

                 I don’t think I would have done much differently with this article, other than mention the Patriot Act.  I was very impressed with the fact that the authors presented both sides of the issue so effectively, because it is not something I could have done so easily.  I do think that there are more sources out there to be contacted about this issue, especially in regards to impact on the average person.   Aside from these few things, there is not much I would change.

 

Works Cited

Christoffersen, John and Apuzzo, Matt. "Conn. Prosecutors Pursue Rowland Probe." Associated Press 21 Sep 2004. 30 Sep 2004 <http://news.yahoo.com/news? tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040921/ap_on_re_us/prosecution_tactics_2>

Copyright 2004

by Amanda Evans

Date: 09/30/04