News Reports Should Include Drowning Causes
Short Item: a tragedy happened yesterday when Rod Nilsestuen, head of Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, drowned in Lake Superior while on a service vacation working for Habitat for Humanity in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But as with any death, there are certain causes left unstated in news reports. It’s clear that, when a person who passes away from cancer, news reports do not have to spell out each factor that lead the to person’s death. For preventable deaths, however, news reports should include this information.
Responsible reporting requires newspapers to describe the contributing factors in Mr. Nilsestuen’s death. Was, for example, Mr. Nilsestuen swimming by himself? This is irresponsible and dangerous, especially if swimming in an area without supervision from a lifeguard. Had Mr. Nilsestuen been drinking? I do not mean to suggest that he had been(!), but many drowning deaths do occur because of intoxicated swimming. Was Mr. Nilsestuen a strong swimmer? If not, then he should not have been swimming so far off shore. Were the lake conditions particularly inhospitable? If so, then swimming would be ill-advised for swimmers of all skill levels. Finally, did Mr. Nilsestuen experience a medical condition in the water like a heart attack? If that was the cause of his drowning, then responsible reporting can still indicate that Mr. Nilsestuen had been swimming responsibly (and remind readers of responsible swimming practices). Especially for preventable deaths like swimming often is, newspapers should remind readers of how they too can be safe in the water.
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