Seeking comment: newsrooms' differing approaches

Last Thursday eight people were arrested in connection with an FBI investigation into allegedly corrupt practices at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Four employees and four outside individuals were accused of providing official state driver licenses to illegal immigrants and others, and charging for the service. Several Bay Area newsrooms handled it in different ways:

• The Alameda Newspaper Group, which includes the Oakland Tribune, the San Mateo County Times and other papers across the Bay Area, didn't attempt to contact the defendants. "Yes, we should have attempted to contact the accused and/or the lawyers for the accused," Mike Oliver, the group's regional editor, wrote in an e-mail. But, he said, the paper is not being negligent by failing to do so in every circumstance. "In our imperfect world of limited time, space and bodies, the stories don't always achieve ideal development."
• The San Francisco Examiner did contact the attorney for one of the lead suspects, quoting her as saying, "These are serious charges. They are only allegations. They've not been proved, certainly not against Veronica Rivera. ... She will do everything in her power to respond to them and the government's concerns." But the paper made no mention of attempting contact with the other lead suspect, who also was named.
• The San Jose Mercury News named all eight suspects, adding, "Attempts to reach the suspects' attorneys were unsuccessful."
• San Francisco Chronicle named five of the suspects. It quoted Ms. Rivera's attorney, noted that three others who appeared in court declined to comment, and stated the fifth "remains in custody."
• KPIX Channel 5, the CBS station in San Francisco, mentioned the charges in a report the next day but did not name the suspects.

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