On Oct. 28, the student-run online newspaper at Santa Barbara City College reported that the California state agency governing community college sports had sanctioned SBCC's Athletic Department for an outlawed recruiting scheme orchestrated by a Vaqueros football coach.
It was a bombshell scoop for The Channels, co-bylined by Editor-in-Chief Cebelli Pfeifer and Sports Editor Anika Brodnansky, who collaborated in weeks of tenacious, determined and indefatigable digging.
As they followed up on a tip, the student journalists consistently encountered delay, deflection and prevarication from SBCC administrators in response to their questions, as the college clearly failed in its duty of loyalty to the community, concealing -- until The Channels revealed it -- that the California Community College Athletic Association had hit SBCC with serious penalties for violations of regulations that control recruitment of student athletes in the state.
Pfeifer and Brodnansky join the gang on this week's edition of Newsmakers TV, recapping their scoop, which got widespread pickup within Santa Barbara's media ecosystem, and providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how they got the story, overcoming officialdom's obstacles as they pushed through to publication.
The saddest part of their comprehensive yarn details some of the real-life impacts the scandal has had on the real lives of players who were unwittingly used in a scam perpetrated by adults. Read the whole thing, as well as a smart companion editorial The Channels published that brought transparency to their reporting, while recounting SBCC's efforts to duck transparency, and explained the paper's uncharacteristic use of anonymous sources in the news pages.
Three amigos weigh in. Four days before the election, Nick Welsh and Josh Molina also join the genial host, as they assess the possible political impact on the campaign for Measure P, a proposed $198 million general obligation bond for City College, of The Channels's investigative reporting; it comes amid contentious debate over deceptive campaign claims made by proponents -- not least their low-balling the fact that a new physical education facility would be the top, earmarked priority if voters approve the bond.
The fellas also run down the state of play in most every other, closely-contested race and ballot measure at stake on Nov. 5, from Measures G, H and I, and council races in Santa Barbara and Goleta, to the low-profile culture war conflicts at the heart of several school board races around the county.
All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV.
JR
Check out the new episode (that's 464 for those keeping score at home - you could look it up), or by clicking through this link. The podcast is here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the program every weeknight at 8 p.m. and on weekends at 9 a.m. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the show at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Image: Cebelli Pfeifer (L) and Anika Brodnansky speak with Newsmakers from The Channels newsroom at City College (Screen capture).
コメント