Case Study 2

After discussing the Tucson shooting incident, Team Ace devised a plan in the event something like an evacuation of a UF football game because of a bomb threat would happen. 

First off, getting reporters to the scene is most important. But getting reporters to a scene that is crowded with people trying to evacuate because they think their lives are in danger will be a hassle. This is where your sports reporters come in handy and move from the sports section to the front page.  

There are so many questions that need to be addressed first so getting info from city officials and police officers for those in attendance would be the first step. Answering questions like: What are the evacuation procedures? Where is there a safe haven for people to evacuate to? Any chances this happens in any other building on campus? These are all important things to know immediately, and that could be posted online or via Twitter to keep people informed.

Addressing more important questions like the bomb threat itself can be answered when things settle down. Either going to the Gainesville or University Police Departments for answers help here. Was the threat traced back to any suspects? Was it traced at all? What is this person’s history, background and motive? And for our readers’ piece of mind, what is going to be done in the future this happens again? These are questions that should be answered on the front page. 

More importantly, I think readers would want to know that the plans set forth by law enforcement and city officials worked. Was there a step in the plan of attack that could be improved? What improvements are going to be made so that things work more smoothly?

Several angles can be taken to cover this event to the maximum extent. And having the right number of reporters in the right places and the right times can make this feasible.