Clear, Concise, and Complete

5W + 3C = A+

   A Maryland politician known for his opposition to same-sex marriage protested when a professional football player endorsed gay rights, and urged the team owner to make him stop such "injurious" talk.


   The New York Times reported that a Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo, in supporting gay rights, incurred the wrath of Emmett C. Burns Jr., a Maryland delegate. The legislator wrote to Steve Bisciotti, the team owner, urging him to "inhibit such expressions from your employee and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions."
   In turn, the politician's statement infuriated another NFL player, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, who posted on the Internet this diatribe: "Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level."
   The Times report added many other reaction comments from gay rights activists supporting the players and criticizing the politician.
   The story, which appeared in the Sunday Sports Section, was pegged to the idea stated in the headline and on the Times Web site that the "players' support of gay marriage" is changing the "homophobic image" of the NFL.

   A good story in itself, but there's a lot more to it, beginning with First Amendment rights.
   Consider:
-- There was no mention of the Free Speech issue, nor any comment from lawyers specializing in First Amendment rights.
-- There was no comment from the state legislator whose letter to the team owner initiated the fuss.
-- There was no comment from the team owner.

   The "homophobic image" was a good angle to pursue, but it would have been a much better, more complete story with comments from the man who lit the flame of controversy, as well as from the team owner. Or at least a line or two indicating that some attempt was made to contact them.
   The journalism-school formula for good news writing has long relied on the Five Ws: Who, what, where, when and why. Adding the Three Cs to the formula -- clear, concise and complete -- equals better writing, a better story, and an A+ for the day.