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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Sunday, April 27, 1997 Differences in Newspaper’s Corrections, Clarifications “READER ADVOCATE And sure as day follows night, I got calls. “When are you people ever going to get it right/" demanded onecorrectionalofficer. “We are not guards.” I didn’t know this was a concern,but in my second yearoflistening to what an- noys some readers, I am not surprised. It’s true, some in the newsroom and a number of readers will call this simply splitting hairs. But as someone who be- SHINIKA SYKES lieves people oughtto be called what they wantto be called, I urge Tribune editorial writers, reporters and letter writers to How a newspapercorrects its mistakes + is forever a source of debate, and probably little perplexing for some readers. Questions in the debate abound. And -the questions I hear most often aboutcorTections are: When is a mistake serious “enoughfor a correction? How prominently should a correction be placed? What is the difference between a “correction” -and a ‘clarification’? The Tribune's policy is this: If something in the paperis factually wrong, then it will be corrected. It doesn’t matter whether a reporter made the mistake or the mistake was provided to the reporter. , All demonstrable, factual errors brought to the timely attention of Tribune editors are corrected i Most corrections are made onthe front page of the section in which they occurred, For example,if an error is made on a Business section page, the correction »will be placed on thefirst page of that section. This is also true for the Sports ssection and the editorial page. In the case eof an error in Daybreak or other weekly ssections, the correction normally is made on the front of the Utah section — the “Tribune page with the highest reader- ship. While a “correction” is madeto right a - factualerror, a “clarification”oftenis offered when somethingis not clear, or spe eific details were missing that should -have been included in the newsstory. +: The Tribune, like any publishing outilet, makes its share of blunders — for example, calling a doctor a dentist, trans- posing digits in a phone numberandletting a typo in a headline for “ALS” (the acronym for Lou Gehrig’s disease) be- cease and desist from referring to individuals who work in correctionalfacilities as “guards.” I am told the State of Utah does not employ anyone with the word “guard” in their jobtitle. Still, the question for me is: Whatdoesa correctionalofficer doif not guard? oo00 When Tuesday’s Tribune featured seven front-page stories, and every one of them continued inside, and on three different pages, several readers wereirri- tated enough to call and complain. Tribune Editor James E. Shelledy has said he would like to see one or two frontpage stories begin and end onthat page. However, he acknowledges thatthis is not always possible. And Tuesday’s frontpage design confirmed that to be true. Somereaders said they got through the less-than-friendly newspaperby flipping backandforthin their effort to read each story to conclusion. Others said they read humans and in a rapid fashion, it will have flaws. Still, Tribune reporters and veditors do a remarkable job of putting /out reams of information each day on impossible deadlines — a vast majority ofit error-free. What can readers do to heip? Just what you're doing now. Keepletting me know when The Tribune falls short. (1 wouldn't mind hearing from readers when the pa- per does something right, as well.) ooo Do you know howto infuriate a Utah state correctionalofficer? Call him or her a “guard.” This issue was brought to my attention last week when a Tribune editorial “Punish or Treat" (April 22) called a correctional officer a “guard.” In addition, a recent Public Forum letter also used “guard” in referenceto a prison cor- rectionalofficer. ‘Gothics’ Aren’t Harmless tinuations as they turned each page. And one Salt Lake City man said he did what Recently in the news there has been a concern involving the “Gothic” subculture, specifically due to the death of a he always does — scannedthe front-page stories that look interesting and skipped all the continuations inside the section. This issue has been discussed previously because a numberof Tribune readers have told me they do notlike it when every front-page story continues inside the paper. Such page design makes for a time-consuming read and a less-thanfriendly paper. Newspaper readers — like most consumers — want convenience. Tribune editors ought to keep that in mind. 000 To fans of “The Norm” comic — who sent me a slewofe-mail messages the past week — you have been heard. Thefinal decision, of course, will be madeby edi- tors. From what I hear, “The Norm” is likely to keep its place among Tribune comics. “Tommy,” however, is about to becomehistory. oo00 Where's Royko? Some Tribune readers have inquired about columnsby syndicated columnist Mike Royko. Royko, 64, was resting following surgery for a brain aneurysm this week at an Evanston, Ill, hospital. He also suffered a strokeearlier this month, The Reader Advocate’s phone number is 237-2015. Write to the Reader Advocate, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. E-mail: reader.advocate@sltrib.com ‘Doggy Day Care’ Sounds Fine, But it Does Have Some Limits RICK HOROWITZ Letters from The Tribune’s readers the entire front-page, then read the con- come “AIDS.” Because the newspaperis produced by THE PUBLIC FORUM forming experience? “Doggy Day Care" is the particular name of the particular establishment in the story, but doggy day care — lower- teen who was involved with the group. I believe this sad event is only the begin- ning of a growing problem. Iam concerned at someofthe information presented in the articles which I have read. There have been statements from some of the “Gothics” that these kids are simply rebellious and are going through a phase and notinto satanic worship, self-mutilation, rituals and some of the other things Gothics have been accused of, As someone who has started to research this subject, I must disagree. I havelookedat articles from papers from across the United States about kids involvedin this culture. In a recent case in Florida, some teens killed their parents and then dranktheir blood. Valley Junior High recently saw this topic as such a concern in their school that they had a police officer come and speak to parents. The Gothic movement itself is a dark, self-destructive course, designed to tear down personaland fam- ily morals. It glorifies everything thatis dark and degrades everything that is good. Unfortunately for the parents involved with teens of this cult, there don’t seera to be any answers available. My husband andI have watched over the past year as our two beautiful chil- dren have succumbed to this lifestyle. We have watched them lose interest in school and become involved in alcohol drugs. We have found remnants of satanic rituals done in their rooms. We have seen them take razor blades and carve symbols into their bodies. We have watched them turn away from their family and friends who love them, to em- brace everything dark andevil. Weneed to start addressing this problem right now. NANCY RECTOR West Valley City o AM furniture MILWAUKEE — Whenthetalk turns to pets, I turn to leave. Call mecrazy, but I just don't see any reasonto stick around the party dip to hear all about the latest adventures of Siegfried or Fluff, Ranger, Sophie or McDuff. I had a goldfish once. He drowned. (It was the only interesting thing he ever did.) I had a chameleon once. He escaped from his box the day we brought him home from the pet department, he managed to escape from confinement just long enough to hide behind the radiator. Dumb move, even for a chameleon. These were low-maintenance pets, mind you, my goldfish and my chameleon. (Low-maintenanceto start with; later they were no maintenanceat all, except for disposal.) They required almost nothing of me — no walking, no grooming, no house training, no shots, no teaching of entertaining tricks — and still couldn't keep up my end ofthe bargain. So why would I possibly wantto inflict that same degree of personalattention on some larger animal, something, say, with acentral nervous system more complicat éd than a peach pit? The answer is; | wouldn't Of course, that's before may daily habit of carefully reading the latest newsintroduced me to Doggy Day Care. I say “of course” as if everyone's heard about Doggy Day Care, whenthe truth of the matter is most people have probably ever heard ofit. | know / hadn't heard of it until just a day or two ago, when I saw the in the paper with the totally headline, "Day Care Center * Social Lives on peling i now? Has my life been trans Leseat Has the full impact madea pro: found impression’ It all depends Do you consider nonstop giggling a life-trans and doing who-knows-what (you know what) to the carpet. Your pooch is among friends, having a better timethan you are. Whichin this instanceis: Your poochis part of an “interactive socialization program.” That's right: an “interactive socialization program.” Don't think kennel — row after row of depressing, confining cages, stranded canines howling their desperate protests at being left behind. Think Shriners. Doggy Day Care dogs, you see, are encouraged to play with one another. They're even assigned to specific play groups (would I lie to you?) according to Whensubmitting letters to the Public Forum, please include your full name, sig- nature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Information other than your name and the city in which you live are kept confidential. Keepit short. Concise letters develop- ing a single theme are morelikely to be published. Please type and double space. @ Letters are condensed and edited. @ Because of the volume of mail received, notall submissions are published. & Mail to Public Forum,The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. @ Our fax number is (801) 237-2316. Crime Madefor Rotten Day To the criminal(s) who broke into my car at my child’s day care and stole my purse: Did the 75 cents I had in my purse make you happy? How about mylipstick? Orthe picture of my parents? Or wasit the act of throwinga tire iron through my windowthat pleased you? Not that you care, but let me tell you Prison Questions After reading the news stories concerning the Utah State Prison, I would like to pose some questions to both the Tribune editorial staff and to the public: Who is actually running the Departmentof Corrections? How can adequate medical attention be provided prisoners, when the medical director has three different jobs? Whenwill they release the autopsy report to determine what effect 16 hours strapped in a chair hadin the death of the inmate? What prior penal experience qualifies Jack Ford to speak on prison policy and procedure? How could the director of prisons not know the expensive car he had assigned to himself was not assigned to the firefighters? Why doesn’t the director attend any of the Utah State Prison Employees Association functions? What happened to the work release etc, Second, giving a statementto the police, my auto insurance company, the glass company, as well as my boss. You see, unlike you, I was dropping mychild off at day care so I could go to work and earn an honest living. Third, paying to replace everything you took and the win- dow you broke. Myparents taught me not to seek revenge and that an eye for an eye is not right, but I hope someday you or someone you love is put in a situation where they feel as violated, frustrated and an- gry as feel. police for their courtesy and reassurance, Safelite Glass for their promptness, and Tim at ISIS, for taking the time to find me after he found my property. and restored my faith in humanity. RACQUELL.. FRANK Salt Lake City oO Vacation Burden Due to the rising number of parents taking thejr children out of schoolfor extended family vacations, teachers and students both are burdened with students needing to make up the work of up to two weeks worth ofclass time. Since, by law, students cannot be penalized for taking a vacation with their families, some kind of provision should be made thatallows certain schools (perhaps those with clientele rich enough to take a family of six on a two-week cruise er a prison farm? downtime (long flights or car rides), so dogs get one-on-one attention, the kind their owners just can't provide. They also take walks. They also take naps, every day at noon. And how, you're wondering, Oo do the dogs know that noontime is nap time? Let the proprietor explain: “We put them in their padded crates, we turn down the lights and put on classical muoe. Works for me. If | were a dog, | mean. If I were a dog and my ownerlived at his desk 70 hours a week and “snarl at the mailman” topped my Things to Do list, I'd be thinking Doggy Day Care was a pretty cool way to spend my time. That's exactly what I'd be thinking, at least until | saw the part about “spayed or neutered.” Doggy Day Care won't take you unless you've been spayed or neutered, Even interactive eee has its limits. Not Just Utahns the students could still earn high grades but not be burdened with all the make-up work, Also,this will allow teachers to concentrate on the here and now instead oftrying to recreate several lectures or proctor tests already given to the rest of the class, Besides, what good is a stress-free week in Hawaiiif one has to understand an entire chapter regarding differential equations on one's return? MELANIE DURFEE Salt Lake City I have been reading the numerous com- plaints from out-of-state drivers regarding use of the passing lane by Utah drivers, Last week, I encountered an automobile heading west on 1-80 at mileit 99. The car occupied the extreme eft lane (the passing lane). Car after car, truck after truck had to pass this driver on the right. In 99 miles, the driver never left the passing lane. Not one time. And the license plate on the car? California BOB STIRLAND > Salt Lake City les’ LAX airport). Many of my colleagues spent from 3.5 to 4 hoursperday traveling to and from work. Manyhadlived in the sameplace for 10 or moreyears. In- variably these people said that when they first moved out of the city, the journey hadtakenless than an hour. However, as morepeoplefollowed them out to these outlying communities, moving farther and fartherout, their drive to work took them more and more time. We seem determined to follow this failed California model.I believe the result will be the sameloss in the quality of life that they have experienced. Someof the same developers who exploited the California mode] are here doing their {am not an expert in social planning. However, it seems to methat the state environs. We should investin eradicating the gang problem beforeit growsto uncontrollable dimensions. We should increase the police presence with a view to preventing crime rather than catching criminals. We should investin the school system. All this should be done to encourage people who work in the city to live near their workplaces. This probiem is not a problem for Salt Lake City alone. The wholestate will be affected by any deterioration in the Utah xperience. Someof our most attractive resorts lie within the area that would be affected by the expansionof the California model with its accompanying crime, smog and other problems. HUGH T. OWEN HeberCity They made a horrible daya little better ductive programs? Whyis there no longIf these questions could be answered by someonein authority, it might reduce the present questions the public has concerning adequate administration of the Utah State Prison and the Departmentof Corrections, AL RICHARDSON Midvale from California’s experience. Before I retired to Heber, I worked with a company in El Segundo (not far from Los Ange- would do well to invest in maintaining the quality of life in Salt Lake City and its attitude trying to chat up one of those prissy, panty poodles over by the water bowl every morning. Talk about your four-legged faux pas! But there's more to life than canine fun and games, absolutely. Doggy Day Care article in the real estate section of The Tribune that presented the advantages of Midway as a bedroom suburb of Salt Lake City. The writer boasted that Midway was less than an hour's drive from Salt Lake City. It seems to me that we oughtto learn mywallet, health insurance companies, banks, video stores, department stores, to the Bahamas) a few extra full-time educators. These teachers could then travel with the students and teach them during the nale for doing away with the prison siaughterhouse, cannery and other pro- snowstorm. The idea boggles the mind. Recentiy, I took note of a promotional what my day consisted of. First, calling every business for which I held a card in their personalities — “who gets along with who,” the proprietor says. Makes perfect sense; afterall, the last thing you wantis some Doberman with an program at the prison? Whatis the ratio- Imagine the California 405 freeway near Los Angeles in rush hour. Add a thing ail over again. I wouldlike to thank the Salt Lake City case, the concept — is an actual national trend, yes indeed. You're stuck at the office hour after hour? Monthafter month? Can't spare theidle inteval to care for all the home’s many responsibilities? Never fear — with doggy day care, your pooch is never homealone, mauling the Repeating California’s Mistakes Where to Write Q High Employment, Low Wages Why the boasting about the low unem- ploymentrate in Utah? Our low wages. o Religious Affronts John R. Pack (Forum, April 8) says The Tribune’s publishing of a letter quoting LDSChurchtempleritual“was irresponsible and can only have beenintended to incite offense and controversy.” He must be asleep or simply does not care just how offensive and controversial his nonMormon neighbors view the following dogma:‘This is the only true andliving earch, on the face of the whole earth y. The condemnationofallspiritual practices other than your own ean cause disharmony. In a community where almost nothing can be agreed upon, perhaps some sort of new and improved revelation is in order.If not, I see no permanent solution to the problem other than both folk and orthodoxreligions goingtotally underground DENNIS KOSTECKI Holladay o Choppers Are Noisy Nuisance Nobody asked me, but you can put me in the category of Utahns who consider the quality of life good, but deteriorating. The key word: helicopters Conversations with representatives of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Aviation Administration don't inspire hope that regulation of the annoying helicopter traffic over my residential area will improve, At least the animal control regulates barking dogs, truckers are warned about air brakes on 1-215 East, and commercial airlines in mostcities restrict takeoffs and landings between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. What re- extremely high taxes and high cost of living makeit necessary for every family member over age 14 to something | think thest ers near my homeat5 a.m. as it did April religion should be proud of. 127 N JOAN DIAMOND, West Jordanf, course do I have when a helicopter hov- ALICE ASTROTH j Salt Lake City, |