In the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006, the usually quiet, safe atmosphere of Duquesne University, a Catholic university in Pittsburgh, was shattered by the shootings of five members of the school’s men’s basketball team following an argument that began during a dance at the student union. One of the victims was shot in the head and was not expected to live through the night. The Duquesne Duke, the university’s 4,000-circulation weekly newspaper, worked throughout the night to publish a special edition for the following morning.
On Monday, Oct. 1, the WVU Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism will host a panel discussion recounting the reporting, editing and crisis management of this event. The discussion, to begin at 7 p.m. in the Mountainlair’s Monongahela Room, will include Emily Leone, editor of the Duke; Brian Tierney, managing editor; Kelly Horein, features editor; and Lauren Daley, a former reporter at the paper.
The panel also will address issues of ethics, invasion of privacy and the delicate balance required when covering a campus tragedy. A question-and-answer session will follow the discussion.
Dr. Steve Urbanski, assistant professor and director of graduate studies at the WVU School of Journalism, will moderate the panel. He was adviser of the Duke at the time of the shootings.
This event is free and open to all students and the general public.