Texas Happenings 2007, No. 22
Week of November 5, 2007TEXAS HapPENINGS is a biweekly advisory to AP member editors on upcoming stories or projects of special interest and a source of news about other AP developments.
BEYOND THE HEADLINES: COVERING TEXAS
Acting on a note passed on from Miami, San Antonio Correspondent Michelle Roberts took a long look at the “Long Con.”
The more victims she talked to, in Texas and elsewhere, the better the pattern emerged. Roberts says she started to see how the con man who was the focus of the story managed to avoid getting in any real trouble with the law.
We knew this wasn't a hard news story, not in the conventional sense, and yet, it had all the marks of a good yarn: an interesting character, delicious little details and the unwritten question of whether you, the reader, could have fallen for it, Roberts said. So the decision was to simply tell the story that way.
While that story was being edited, Roberts had been gathering information on a man from Sierra Leone who was being held by immigration officials in San Antonio.
It seemed improbable that authorities could detain him even after a judge ruled that war crimes accusations against him were unfounded. But that was, in fact, what was happening - and what happens in plenty of cases in which the Department of Homeland Security chooses to exercise discretion it has to detain immigrants.
Roberts wrote the story just as a federal judge was considering the man’s case. The judge later ruled that his constitutional rights were being violated and that he should be released.
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Meanwhile, in a joint effort from Austin and Washington, AP Supervisory Correspondent Kelley Shannon and Regional Reporter Suzanne Gamboa pursued a story about what Republican Gov. Rick Perry’s endorsement of Rudy Giuliani for president could mean for social conservatives and the Republican Party in Texas.
Conservatives who oppose abortion have controlled the state party in recent years and have backed Perry. Would Perry's decision to endorse a pro-choice Republican for president who supports embryonic stem cell research open doors for candidates with moderate views on those issues in Texas, such as Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison?
Hutchison is considered a possible Republican contender for governor in 2010. But her relationship with social conservatives has been strained because of her position on abortion, and those social conservatives turn out voters in GOP primaries.
The story concluded that while Texas social conservatives' power isn't going away any time soon, Perry's defiance of their preference on candidates is certain to leave a footprint on the state's GOP.
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In Austin, reporter April Castro moved beyond the news of the day to bring readers an interesting look at the tough appellate judge who denied a condemned man an appeal by closing the court office at 5 p.m. Castro's report gave readers an inside look at the prosecution-favoring system that shapes judges like Sharon Keller.
Castro also wrote an engaging story examining the wide-reaching scope of a South Texas businessman, his trouble with the law and the Democrats who have benefited from his questionable wealth. Mauricio Celis is being investigated for impersonating an attorney and a law officer, while Democrats across the nation are wondering if they should return his campaign contributions.
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For a story on an exhibit of dresses designed by Dallas' Michael Faircloth, Jamie Stengle interviewed the couturier. Faircloth gained fame when he designed first lady Laura Bush's wardrobe for the 2001 election. The Dallas exhibit featured several ensembles he designed for her, including suits from when she was first lady of Texas.
Faircloth, a native Texan, described the process he and a client go through during the design process, including discussions about the client's style and the look they hope to achieve with a particular outfit. "I try to capture their individual style and personality and also guide them perhaps into some new details," Faircloth said. The story offered a glimpse into the world of custom-designed gowns.
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Matt Curry wrote about GodTube, a Christian video-sharing site patterned after a wildly popular secular model, YouTube. While YouTube urges its users to "Broadcast You," YouTube fans are encouraged to "Broadcast Him." The site has quickly become the fastest growing on the Web.
Former Dallas editorial assistant Thomas Peipert, who recently transferred to AP’s Denver bureau, pointed out the presence of GodTube on the Internet to Curry. Later, while Matt was conducting an unrelated interview at Dallas Theological Seminary, the school's president mentioned that one of his students had founded GodTube.
For the resulting story, Curry toured the company and interviewed GodTube founder Chris Wyatt, who described an unusual career journey as a TV producer-turned seminary student-turned CEO of a video Web site.
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Among the damage left by Hurricane Humberto this summer was the devastation of trees at bird sanctuaries that make High Island a destination for thousands of bird watchers from around the world.
AP Texas writer Michael Graczyk and photographer David Phillip had Winnie Burkett, manager of the Houston Audubon Society's four bird sanctuaries on the Gulf Coast island, lead them around the sanctuaries where century-old trees were toppled, changing the look of the places. Burkett noted hurricanes have hit the area for ages and hoped the migratory birds who use the sanctuaries will adapt. "I don't think the birds care the way we care," she said for Graczyk’s story.
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Dallas reporter Jeff Carlton received the full NASCAR treatment at the Texas Motor Speedway, turning a day at the track into a first-person account of what it's like behind the wheel of a stock car. NASCAR driver Tony Stewart gave Carlton and other reporters tips on driving, celebratory fence-climbing and how to keep sponsors happy before turning them loose on the track.
Carlton drove 10 laps around the speedway, averaging 133 mph. He then spent three laps in the passenger seat while Stewart whipped them around the track at about 170 mph.
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The opening day of the NBA season found Elizabeth White producing three bylined stories surrounding the San Antonio Spurs. She was set to write two stories – on the Spurs getting their championship rings in a pre-game ceremony and another about their season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.
But during the day, there were reports that superstar Tim Duncan was set to sign a two-year contract extension, meaning he'd almost certainly end his basketball career in Texas. So, she chased that down and updated it at the game, in addition to writing the other two stories.
LOOKING AHEAD
FOR SATURDAY-SUNDAY
SPARED FROM DEATH
BEEVILLE - Kenneth Foster, who unexpectedly avoided almost certain death, believes other miracles may be headed his way. "I don't feel I've come this far to stop here," Foster said from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice McConnell Unit, his new home for maybe as much as the next three decades.
Foster, 31, is getting accustomed to his new surroundings after becoming the only condemned Texas inmate to win a commutation from Gov. Rick Perry without the prodding of a court. By Michael Graczyk.
BOX-JOHNSON MEMOIR
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Jack Johnson, addicted to attention and craving a colorful legacy, loved to chronicle his rise from a restless Texas teen to the world's first black heavyweight boxing champion. Now, nearly a century after his most famous bout - the 1910 defeat of "Great White Hope" Jim Jeffries - and decades after his death, Johnson has more tales to tell. His largely unknown 1911 musings to a French sports magazine, including observations on racism likely never intended for American readers, have been translated to English in their entirety for the first time. The result, "My Life & Battles," is a 127-page book by and about the man considered by many to be one of history's most important athletes. By Stephanie Reitz.
Moved Wednesday on news and sports wires.
AP MEMBER EXCHANGE: TWO STATUES
HUNTSVILLE - Sam Houston was big here, even before his 67-foot likeness went up along the freeway. The larger-than-life Texas hero lived and died in Huntsville and even tried to make it the state capital. His work brought the Texas criminal justice system headquarters here. The state university bears his name, and a large museum preserves his memory. But when a Huntsville-native sculptor proposed a concrete colossus of Houston on Interstate 45 - similar to the one he is now considering of a Texas Ranger in Waco - not everyone was thrilled. By J.B. Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald.
JOB FAIR SET FOR APRIL
The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association will hold their annual job fair on April 4 in College Station.
The job fair gives editors a chance to talk to college students about job openings and internships.
Mark you calendars now and watch for more details as the event draws closer.
TRAVEL ONLINE OFFERS WINTER VACATION IDEAS
Readers are thinking about the holidays, ski vacations and cruises to escape winter. Provide the coverage that attracts readers and advertisers with AP Travel Online. You get expanded coverage of destinations, trends and travel news.
Offered as a hosted service or an XML feed, AP Travel Online delivers a comprehensive suite of travel resources. Coming soon - top public-tree lightings around the country, holiday gift guide for travelers, classic Christmas in NYC, Colorado and Alaska ski resorts, St. Martin, and lots more.
Travel Online takes a global focus with an emphasis on timely features, columns on subjects from travel with kids to adventure travel appeal to a variety of reader demographics. Other features include weekly web-only features.
For more information, contact Texas AP Bureau Chief Dale Leach or Assistant Bureau Chief Barry Bedlan at 1-800-442-7189 or 972-991-2100. You may also check out www.ap.org/newspapers and click on Online Newspapers.
AP EXCHANGE OFFERS NEW FEATURES, TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THEM BETTER
Many editors have started working with AP Exchange in the past few weeks. As with any new system, a learning curve is necessary and we'd like to help with this as much as possible. Searching for news is one thing, but putting AP Exchange to work for members is what we really hope to be able to do. AP offers online AP Exchange training for your newsroom to teach some of these enhanced features.
Additionally, AP Channels are a powerful new source of subject-specific news from the AP. Available only in AP Exchange, AP Channels scour the entire AP report for news on specific topics. It's content beyond what members have ever had access to. The most popular AP Channel is Education.
Editors who have access to this Channel receive all education stories from all AP state wires and English international wires. For education reporters, this Education Channel provides a rich source of news for print and online. Other popular Channels include Kids and Family, Environment, Health, Energy and Crime.
Lastly, there is now a powerful new feature enabled in AP Exchange to help editors find more relevant news faster. Editors can now craft searches using concepts and not just keywords. Searching by concept is a very easy way to zero-in on locally relevant content faster. For example, within seconds you can round up all stories on topics such as award shows to natural disasters to nutrition, green technologies or wireless technology.
To get the full details on AP Exchange training or AP Channels, please contact Texas AP Bureau Chief Dale Leach or Assistant Bureau Chief Barry Bedlan at 1-800-442-7189 or 972-991-2100.
SPECIAL EDITIONS
The special edition package on holidays moved Nov. 6 and included stories on how to pick safe toys; why toy kitchens aren’t just for girls anymore; thank-you note etiquette; how to budget wisely this holiday season; and whether real or fake trees are more eco-friendly.
Editors can access Special Features content in AP Exchange by typing “SPE” into the search field.
The final special edition package of the year will move on Dec. 4 about weddings.
APPLAUSE PLEASE
The Associated Press’ coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings won the best breaking news coverage in the large organization category of the Online News Association.
WALTER BUCKEL, AMON G. CARTER, ALVIN HOLLEY and HAROLD HUDSON will be inducted into the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame in January.
Buckel served as president of the Texas Press Association in 1985-86 and as president of the West Texas Press Association in 1983-84. He entered the newspaper business in 1967 when he purchased the Dawson County Free Press in Lamesa.
Carter was the longtime publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which he and an associate founded in 1909. From 1923 until after World War II, the Star-Telegram had the largest circulation of any newspaper in the southern United States, serving Fort Worth, West Texas, New Mexico and western Oklahoma, a land area more than twice the size of New England. The world-famous Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth bears his name.
Holley, a Corsicana native, began his newspaper career at age 10 as a carrier for the Corsicana Daily Sun. He later was offered an office job with the Sun and moved through the ranks as circulation manager, advertising manager and general manager.
Hudson, a native of Gorman, served as president of Panhandle Press Association in 1957-58, as president of Texas Press Association in 1967-68, and president of the National Newspaper Association in 1977-78. Hudson started in the newspaper business at age 13 as a printer's devil at the Ochiltree County Herald in Perryton. After service in World War II, he returned to become the paper's news editor and, later, its publisher.
ON THE MOVE
WESLEY R. TURNER is retiring as president and publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at the end of the year. Turner began his career in Fort Worth in 1973 and joined the Star-Telegram two years later. He advanced to vice president of advertising in 1987. After time at publications in Kansas and California, he returned to the Star-Telegram in 1997. GARY WORTEL will replace Turner. Wortel is president and publisher of The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C., a position he has held since 2005.
ANTHONY WILSON, managing editor at the San Angelo Standard-Times, is leaving the paper to take a job with the city. Wilson has been with the paper for more than three years.
THOMAS PEIPERT has transferred from the Dallas AP bureau to Denver, where is working as a part-time newsman.
INDUSTRY NEWS
The AP Industry News summary is now available on the new AP Exchange system, a free system offering you Web-based access to the AP report. On AP Exchange, media industry news items will be available immediately, rather than transmitted once a week. For more on AP Exchange you can visit www.ap.org/apexchange.
If you do not have AP Exchange access yet, please contact AP Texas Chief of Bureau Dale Leach.
An AP Exchange account will permit you to access and search industry news, along with all your AP text, photo and graphics services. Until an AP Exchange account is created for you, we can add you to an e-mail list for distribution of media industry news items as soon as they arrive. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please send your request by e-mail to talkback@ap.org.
If you’ve got news to share for TEXAS HapPENINGS, please send the material to Linda Franklin at lfranklin@ap.org.
PREVIOUS ISSUES:
• April 16, 2007
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