Canyon High was in the news on two different stations this week.
Channel 7 reported on the $11,000 donation to the school’s FFA chapter.
Channel 10 chose to report a completely different story. They took the mistakes of two teachers and turned them into a muckraking campaign against the school. This is most certainly not a picture of journalistic integrity, but an example of sensationalism overcoming sound news judgment.
The station’s premature coverage caused all kinds of rumors to circulate among students. The news made it seem as though these sorts of things are a common occurrence among the faculty members. Many people also did not appreciate the fact that the station felt the need to film in front of the school for both segments, as if the school were a symbol of the alleged wrongdoing of these two faculty members.
Four month-old news is not breaking news. The fact that Channel 10 even bothered to go and dig up the information shows that they are not looking to report the truth and inform the people. They are simply looking to throw mud at a school known for success and high standards.
None of the other news stations covered the story in depth because they both knew that not all the information into the matter had been released. They may cover it later, but not until the matter has been investigated and confirmed.
Next time, Channel 10 should think and use better judgment before they decide to air a story, especially one that is old news and another that is still under investigation.