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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 27 ,2 01 9 | 8 It's about trust. Our re- lationship with our read- ers is built on transparen- cy, honesty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project. The newsworthiness of a story is typically deter- mined by several factors: is it significant? Does it impact people? Is it new? Sadly, a basic truism in journalism is that, if a sto- ry involves an untimely death, a sudden tragedy or serious injury of some kind, it ticks off all the boxes of what makes a news story. Another sad truth is that stories like this are likely to get higher page views, web traffic and reader engagement. The infamous term heard in the newsroom for as long as I can remember is "if it bleeds, it leads." Unfortunately, for our customers, heartbreak- ing stories often come across like a train wreck in that viewers don't want to read or watch them, but at the same time, they just can't look away. And, readers have let us know, without mincing words, what they think of our coverage of various, high-profile tragedies over the years. "Your publication dis- gusts me. Why would you ruin the lives of two fami- lies?" read one of many emails I received during my ongoing coverage of a paramedic accused of im- paired driving in a deadly Oakville crash. She was referring to the fact that we ran a pho- to and identified the charged paramedic, as well as the young man killed in the crash. "Total- ly insensitive." There is so much more reason and purpose be- hind why we cover trage- dies and "bad news sto- ries." Believe me, it's not about public shaming or exploiting a sad situation. Any time we, as jour- nalists, can put a face, or faces, to a tragedy and re- veal what transpired, it paints a more complete picture for our customers. It brings greater atten- tion and public awareness to an awful situation in the hopes of enhancing the social conversation about what's happening in our communities and ef- fecting change in said communities. Take the heartbreak- ing case of a Milton family who lost their 17-year-old son to a fentanyl over- dose. No one can argue that the case was magnified by us reporting on the heart- wrenching agony that Graham and Lori Nor- wood had to endure after losing their son Jaxen. In this case, it was the parents who contacted In- side Halton and wanted to share the story of their son's fatal overdose in the hopes it could prevent other deaths. The family, the victim, were front and centre. Without the sad de- tails, without the raw hu- man emotion, the impact just isn't the same. It is hoped that this sto- ry entices parents to talk to their children more about the dangers of drug use, just like the deadly case of suspected im- paired driving compels readers to think twice be- fore they drink and drive. This is content that ef- fects change, where change is needed, in large part due to the media spot- light. Louie Rosella is online editor for the Burlington Post, Oakville Beaver, Milton Canadian Cham- pion and Georgetown/ Acton Independent and Free Press. We welcome your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust committee at trust@met- roland.com. OPINION TRAGEDY AND BAD NEWS: WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WE'RE THERE READERS HAVE CERTAINLY LET US KNOW WHAT THEY THINK, WRITES ROSELLA LOUIE ROSELLA Column WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TODAY! AfterBefore Cabinet Refacing *Additions *New Kitchens *9.9/10 Average rating *View our online testimonials on Homestars! The easy way to update your Kitchen! 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