Jody Habayeb,
ONE GOOD
IDEA:
It happened by accident. We were
breaking a story about a local phosphate company that had for decades been
dumping carcinogens in the ground, air and water around it's processing factory
in Plant City, a small rural town, known for their strawberry farming.
There had been several phosphate
factories on the property since 1920. It took a great deal of research to
figure out how long the environment had been soiled by the companies before and
during Coronet Industries time as a neighbor in the community where
strawberries were often the size of tangerines. They story didn't make a leap
to the conclusion that the phosphates were responsible, that was my thinking...
Figuring out exactly what carcinogens were found in the air, ground and water
and what ill effects they might have on humans and livestock and pets was my
job over the first few weeks. Once word was out and the local, state and
federal environmental offices had a lot to answer for, so they arranged to hold
a town meeting at the
What happened as a result deciding
to go to that meeting on my own, has changed the way we approach major breaking
stories and the news libraries role during that time.