# Durango Herald is the one confused



## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Sounds like some of the worst reporting I have ever seen.


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## sward (Dec 14, 2003)

Dude read on it gets worse. I wrote the reporter some hate mail. His other comments & quotes were unacceptable.

Never really understood why people say don't trust reporters... this guy is scum.

He didn't reply to me, hope he read this

Steve
[email protected]
970.385.1736


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## Gary E (Oct 27, 2003)

Steve please send me that pukes email or contact info. What a jackass!

Gary


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## bkp77 (May 9, 2004)

With shitty reporting like that I think this guy must be trying to get a job at Fox News or something. retard...


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## basil (Nov 20, 2005)

I recommend writing a letter to the editor correcting the errors in the article. Don't be too mean. But, say that it is a disservice to Adam's memory to call him ignorant of the run or not have a full understanding of the dangers. 

Reporters are not experts at everything and they often don't have much time to write these articles. This guy probably wrote 2-4 articles in a day and had 1-2 hours for this article. Yea, he screwed up. Embaress him by writing the letter to the editor. But, don't be too hard on him.


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## sgb3000 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Thomas Munro*

Unbelievable. The guy's writing about whitewater and doesn't even take the time to learn the basic river classification scale.

[email protected]

Let him know what a retard he is. Misinformation is only gonna get more people hurt.


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## bkp77 (May 9, 2004)

For the "unconquered class 4" ...I wonder if it is also possible that he was looking at the roman numeral version and got IV mixed with VI. Dumb but perhaps an honest mistake to someone not used looking at the ratings much.

It does suck that it implies that a skilled paddler like Mr. Barron maybe did not know what he was getting into though. :evil: 

I do agree it might be a good email to write tonight and then go over it in the morning and the article again before sending it.


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## DJ Big Bird (Sep 16, 2004)

See below the email that I wrote Thomas early yesterday morning and his reply. He was polite in reply, but I'm not sure I buy that it was an editor's mistake. Don't editors get paid to correct errors like that?

Hello Thomas, 

You've probably gotten an earful from the boating community on this one already, but I'll chime in as well. The second to last paragraph in the "Officials Identify Lost Kayaker" story yesterday is dangerously inaccurate. You live and report for a paper in a town that is filled with world class kayakers. How could you get your whitewater rating scale so wrong? Why not make a quick trip (or call) to 4 Corners Riversports and ask for info on the currently used rating scale? Vallecito Creek is rated as Class V+ by all sources that I know. What source said that it is Class II or III? In one sentence you describe Class IV as "yet unconquered", then call Vallecito class V+. Kayakers run Vallecito safely on a daily basis every spring. 

In the future, if you need more information for a whitewater story (which is likely in Durango), www.mountainbuzz.com has a "Boater's Forum" full of experts to answer any questions. Americanwhitewater.org is another great source for information regarding specific rivers and creeks. And to reiterate, you are surrounded by expert kayakers. Use them. 

Best Regards, 

Baird Kleinsmith 
Durango, CO 


Mr. Kleinshmith, 
Thank you for your input. The most dangerous whitewater is of course a VI, but it appears an editor chose to change the Roman numerals to arabic numerals and mistranslated a VI into a 4. As far as the "danger" of calling Vallecito Creek a 2 or a 3, that was precisely my point. There is misinformation out there. Perhaps I could have made clearer that the "V+" appears to be the accurate rating. 

Thanks for your help. I will definitely follow your advice when I write about whitewater again. 

-Thomas Munro


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

A few people to copy on your emails. :evil: 

[email protected] publisher and owner
[email protected] general manager
[email protected] cheif editor


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## Gary E (Oct 27, 2003)

ttt


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## sward (Dec 14, 2003)

The guy is clueless and out of his realm, probably not unusual for a reporter. My problem was his content in his May 30th article. Not his miseducation, but his quote from riverfacts. There is no room for that in this situation. I would post it, but it would be disrespectful to Adam's friends & family. It was just tasteless. 
I forgive being uninformed, but I can't forgive his article.
I just canceled my subscription.

Steve.


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## keel (Apr 30, 2004)

*Remember hate and frustration*

The Herald has never been a good paper that is why I do not read it, and they have constent turn over!!!! I never have seen the same reporter at any boating event or other river events????? I am in constant contact with Butch and I will be writing narratives about the creek on his web site to help educate the sheriffs office. They have no plans to regulate and understand that the paddling community knows what they are doing. The paper is another story they are idiots........ Just let it go and at some point they may get it right...
Be safe S ward Call me!!!!
John B :x


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## DurangoSteve (Jun 2, 2006)

*Junior reporters*

I agree that the Herald report was pathetic. The Herald hires "trainee" reporters, often fresh out of journalism school, to learn their chops at this smalltown paper. I read the reporter's defense of his piece, and noted that an editor butchered his work. As a a "recovering journalist," I too am familiar with editors screwing up my work. I am not defending the reporter completely, but clueless editors do play a role in screwups like this.

It is amazing that in a town like Durango, with so many whitewater pros and so many whitewater classics nearby, that the daily newspaper would have no grasp of river ratings. You can bet they won't repeat this mistake. Letters to the editor are a good way to shame them into learning about one of the most important sports in our town.


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

I didnt mean for this to turn into hate mail to the herald - but they are definitely implying some people who paddle there dont know what they are getting into and the county has to 'do something' about it. man if you haul a boat up that trail you sure as hell know what you are getting into. more information about the run is never bad so i am not complaining about that - i just dont like the accusatory tone. the first two articles were not bad but this one is an insult.


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## mvhyde (Feb 3, 2004)

*Send your comments to Tom Sluis*

He's the City Desk Editor, and not a bad guy really....just misinformed...DH gets a lot of stuff wrong all the time, plus they let the DPD dictate to them what they can and cannot print in the paper as far as crime...


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## vor (Jun 3, 2006)

*Herald story*

The many ignorant replies in this topic show just how much several people on here don't know about how newspapers work nor do they have much tact.

Sure, the Herald printed an incorrect fact about the ratings scale. Shit happens and people -- even journalists -- are falliable. So you run a correction and try to get past it. What's the point of railing on this reporter for a mistake and cybersmearing him?

The Herald wasn't even informed of the kayaker's name for more than 24 hours after the Search and Rescue team got the call that he was missing. Precious little information is available to the media when something of this nature is going down, because the S&R guys are trying to do their jobs of finding him -- not make sure they give every detail about the guy who unfortunately lost his life.

Knowlton wouldn't release his personal information for a day, and he wouldn't give anything else to go on to for a story to explain if the kayaker was or was not an expert and/or knowing what he got into. Ever think that when a S&R is going on in the late evening on Saturday night that information about the kayaker is not available -- and if it was if a reporter is going to call the poor guy's family in their moment of grief to see just how "experienced" he was? If he had done that and reported it, you guys would have found a reason to cybersmear him for being insensitive.

In a perfect world, the media doesn't always get the information exactly when they need it, especially in the wee hours of a Sunday morning. Misinformation happens, and in that case you'd think that adults would kindly let the reporter know what was wrong instead of insulting him and resort to third-grade namecalling.

Contrary to belief, the "DPD" doesn't dictate to media what is printed and what is not. JHChrist, the media isn't easily influenced and has the protection of the First Amendment. What proof is there that this is the truth? None. Thought so. Unless you have verifiable truth, you are spouting incorrect facts in the same way and manner that you are lambasting the reporter and the newspaper for doing.

To show you how ignorant you are -- there isn't a "city desk editor" position at the Herald (I looked it up in the paper in the staff box). And any main editor who does work isn't there on weekends when it's a skeleton staff. I asked them. 

So I reiterate my point that while the reporter/editor made some errors in the rating system, consider the timeframe and the delicacy of a situation -- and the fact that you don't know how the business operates before going into your childish rages here online.

I'm embarrassed that you are fellow paddlers. Reading these messages on here and realizing the behavior makes me want to distance myself from the Four Corners boating community. Remember that saying about "...all it takes is one bad apple?"


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## sward (Dec 14, 2003)

Read the article on May 30th. My problem was not about his poor river rating. It is about his poor choice of content. Read the article, 7th paragraph. Again I am trying not to post it.
I didn't know adam, but I know a lot of people that loved him. If anybody said that following the death of one of my bro's I'd be pissed.

Alright I am done dishing it out & defending why I am doing it. Be embarassed for me.

Steve.


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

We are childish when we are upset about a horribly miswritten article? Please show off you your skills at understanding the press somewhere else cause frankly you sound full of crap and pompous. Move on, I am sure you have some article to write where you dont check any facts and just rave on about how intelligent you are and we arent.


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## Gary E (Oct 27, 2003)

Vor, 

You talk about no time frame to write facts. Nice so just write whatever the hell some clueless person has to say? I could give a shit about the ratings in the article. 

What I do care about is the way they made Adam out to be some yahoo that didn't know what he was getting into. You probably haven't had a friend die on the water and I hope you never have one. There are alot of emotions about one of your friends passing on the water. So on your "what are they gonna call his parents" blah fuckin blah defense, along with the other shit you said, I say don't write the article til you know what the hell your writting about. And if you can't figure it out than write about something you can. 

I'm sick and embarrased that you are a fellow paddler vor. Fuckin jackass!

Gary


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## J Rock (May 19, 2005)

I usually stay off these threads because they seem to spin outta control pretty fast, but as a newspaper reporter and someone "who knows the newspaper business" I want to respond. The first issue here is that someone tragically passed away while enjoying the river. I didn't know Adam but many people did and emotions are running high and sensativity is at a climax. As reporters we know this is the situation coming into sensative material like this and we need to take special and diligent care to get the names and facts straight before we print them. In all stories, but especially ones of such tragic nature, we get only one chance to get the names and facts straight -- and the consequences if we don't can be high as seen on this thread. If reporters get "it" wrong, there is no excuse. Every time I print a mistake, I gladly write the correction for the next addition... some reporters have to write many corrections throughout a career, the best ones only write a few, but we all get things wrong from time to time, no matter how great our skill and knowledge on a subject. I can tell you that every time I have printed an error, it was by mistake and often times isn't noticed until I get the first e-mail or call from a reader explaining my lapse. Every time I feel bad to have failed the reader, the boss and most importnatly, the people offended by the misinformation. Unfortunatley, in our business, you can't go back and try again... all you can do is make sure to get it right the next time around. 

I don't know this reporter at the Herald, nor do I know their staffing situation on weekends, but I would put money down that he feels bad to have made this mistake. I also bet he is not enjoying the e-mails from so many angry people and I can guarentee he will never get white water information wrong again. With that said, all of us boaters can tell that he didn't understand what he was writng about and that is a problem for the Herald. As reporters, we need to make sure that what we print is factually correct... it's obvious this reporter didn't follow that basic guiding principle. He responded to Baird's letter by saying the point was to tell readers there is a lot of confusion among people about the difficulty of the run... when in reality, there is no confusion whatsoever. The only person who was confused about the difficulty level of Val. was the reporter himself -- evidenced by the blaring errors in the article. 

In addition, the reporter should've told Baird that a correction/clarification would be running and when and where in the paper he could find it -- standard procedure at every newspaper I have worked at. Considering the sensative nature of this story, it seems he could of had more awareness to the situation. If he is green behind the ears and fresh outta college, I hope this is a wake-up call for him that Tact can go a long way to calming stoked nerves and keeping subscriptions from being canceled.

For all of you who have been offended by this, take Basil's advice. Write a letter to the editor that embodies more tact and CORRECT factual information to the Herald readers. Truth and the exchange of factual information is what we're all hoping to spread in the first place. Write a letter to the editor explaining the truth about the creek, about Adam, about kayaking. The readers will see it. Survey after survey has shown the Letters section of any newspaper is more well read than most the articles printed. In the end, you guys trust each other more than you trust us. 

And to Vor - it's obvious that you are either a staffer at the Herald or a close friend/associate of a staffer there. I would guess the former though, judging by your flawless grammar and crisp writing style which just smells of newspaper training and in the detailed information you know about the DPD's relationship with the Herald, the paper's staffing situations on weekends and the knowledge you have of what information was made available to the media about Adam and when. As a fellow journalist (or friend of one) I hope you can realize the true level of pain the boating community feels for a fallen friend. Coming on here and prophetically telling everyone they are ignorant about how newspapers work and telling them they're not justified in being angry over a mistake that was printed about their friend is obtuse at best. When we make mistakes in our profession we have to live up to fallout that often follows them... 

To be cliche, if you can't stand the heat - get outta the kitchen.

For all who are suffering through this loss, I am sorry. My thoughts are with you and Adam's family at this time. 

J-


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## mvhyde (Feb 3, 2004)

*Ummmmmmm*

well... weirdly interesting

Tom Sluis IS in fact the City Desk Editor, at least the last time I spoke to him, which was ...let's see....last Thursday... May 24th at my son's school picnic, at which his daughter was climbing on my back, in between chasing my son all over the place. and oh yeah... everyone who lives here in D-go town knows full and well that DPD limits what the DH publishes in it's Police Blotter, or should I call it a tacit agreement not to scare the tourists? 

However... the point was and is that a boater was lost and they got some facts wrong... it happens, it's a newspaper


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## DurangoSteve (Jun 2, 2006)

*Time to reflect...*

Here's my observation about the numerous posts about the error-filled Herald report... A reporter who had no understanding of whitewater wrote an article about this tragedy under deadline pressure with limited information and a copyeditor made the errors worse by totally screwing up the river rating info. Boaters are understandably emotional about the loss of a comrade, and emotionally overreacting to this weak news piece.

Write a letter to the editor expressing your sadness at the loss of an apparently well-loved kayaker, and your dissappointment with the errors in the news article, but try to understand that reporters cannot be experts in every subject they cover. Thru the mistakes in the article, the reporter (and his editor) have learned a lot about this subject and won't make the same mistakes again. Boaters shouldn't let their sorrow turn to anger at the Herald. They screwed up, but they are human. Don't expect the media, particularly a smalltown daily newspaper, to be the NY Times. It ain't gonna happen. I for one, think that the Herald does a very good job for a small newpaper in a small market. They're not perfect, but they are usually very good. This article was an exception.

Mourn your comrade, but try to be understanding of the REALITY that not everyone has your river knowledge.

Peace.


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## Gary E (Oct 27, 2003)

J-Rock, thanks for the post. Nicely done. Now I'm done. Be safe everyone

Gary


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## Herald editor (Jun 6, 2006)

Everyone: 

My condolences go out to the entire rafting community, and particularly to Adam's family and friends. Whether a novice or expert, anyone's death on the river is a tragedy. 

I was off last week when the news broke, and I don't work weekends, but there are a few quick points I would like to offer: 
- We try our best, but yes, the paper does occasionally screw up. 
- Yes, a mistake was made in editing.
- We will have a correction in tomorrow's paper on Class 4 versus Class 6.
- I used to be the city editor, but the title was changed. I'm now the assignment editor.

Again, I'm sorry for the death. I have two kids and know that as good Durangoans, they may want to try kayaking someday. Am I concerned? Of course. Will they be educated on the risks and how to deal with them? You bet. Do I know that sometimes all the preparation in the world can't account for every contingency? Yes, that's life.

Please, if you have any questions or concerns, send me an e-mail, [email protected]. 

Thanks.

Tom Sluis
Assignment editor
The Durango Herald


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## Geezer (Oct 14, 2003)

> My condolences go out to the entire rafting community


Rafting community? WTF?


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Standing up and apologizing is appreciated. You also now have access to a forum that will try to help you substantiate whitewater stories in the future.

greg


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