The Buffalo News poorly reports the City Grill shooting

By Jillian LeBlanc 

The job of a journalist is tricky on a good day. There is a fine line one must walk in order to inform the public without offending the masses. The City Grill story printed by The Buffalo News failed to do just that.

A week after the City Grill shooting, the Buffalo News printed an article about the criminal records of the victims involved. With 7 of 8 victims having criminal backgrounds, Buffalo News reporters T.J. Pignataro and Patrick Lakamp raised sensitive questions.

While Pignataro and Lakamp went out of their way to prove that these individuals did not deserve this fate, the facts provided imply otherwise.

Criminal justice professor Yvonne Downes said that African-American men with criminal records are highly likely to become victims of a crime. Downes essentially states that tragedies - such as this - are common. It’s a proverbial shrug, saying this was bound to happen given the statistics on the matter. While this statistic is true and should receive some attention, it is rather insensitive in the wake of death.

Pignataro and Lakamp should have taken a different angle. They interviewed inconsequential people about whether or not these men deserved to die. This was not the correct question. Anyone in his or her right mind would agree that no human should fall at the hands of another.

The reporters ponder about the type of crowd present at City Grill that night, but fail to seek the proper answers. They did not interview the owner of the City Grill, or the workers there. They also failed to further investigate the crowd, and the relationships of the victims. It also would’ve been interesting to see what fellow businesses had to say about the local nightlife, about the crowds they attract, and the safety of the area. They ultimately leave their questions unanswered. 

Suspicions are implied about the incident, but both reporters fail to prove their theory. The accusations they address in the headline – “lifestyle associations may have put them in harm's way” - does not match the content within the article. Their story takes on an unfavorable tone, despite the valid points that are addressed.

The Buffalo News had a right to publish this story; they had a right to investigate the criminal records of the victims. In regards to journalism – as well as criminal justice – you need all the information in order to make a sound argument. This fragment of information could have potentially unlocked a missing link. Or, it could simply back up an argument made by a reporter.

To ignore this information – by not publishing part of the facts - would effectively bury the story. The article would take on a completely different tone if it were a group of college students, rather than adults with criminal backgrounds. It changes the perception of the story for better or worse.

Black or white, I would hope the Buffalo News has the integrity to publish a story based on content rather than skin color. If the victims were all white, the Buffalo News would print the story the same way because it is their job to print the truth. They chose this method to get the information out there, and I don’t believe the article would change with the skin color of the victims.

Margaret Sullivan posted an article on Nieman Reports, stating how the black community boycotted the article, and criticized her for publishing the City Grill piece. Sullivan realized that the Buffalo News was out of touch with the black population, and tried to forge a better relationship.

By creating a diversity advisory council, undergoing diversity awareness training, encouraging diversity in the workroom, promoting positive stories regarding the East side of Buffalo, and by simply reaching out to the black community, Sullivan strived to improve the Buffalo News.

She published the story to inform the community; whether there was another agenda it remains unclear, but it was most likely used to give the community some peace of mind. As Mayor Byron W. Brown's said in regards to the City Grill shootings, "these kinds of activities could happen any place at any time." At 3 a.m. a group of criminals were attacked, four were killed, but the likelihood of this happening again doesn’t seem all that likely.

“I still believe The News was right to publish the story because it exposed an important piece of the puzzle about that tragic shooting. But its timing and placement should have been handled more sensitively and more respectfully," said Sullivan.

email: j.omerine@gmail.com