Why it’s important to see a story through to the end

Initial reports on news stories are hugely important, but following up after the fact can provide rare opportunities for readers and journalists alike to understand the nuances behind them

With an ever-expanding world of some 7.7 billion people, there are tens of thousands of possible news stories each day. Unfortunately, we can’t cover them all, but as journalists and editors, we do have a duty to stay on top of certain stories.

A tragic story unfolded this weekend, when in New York a man was charged with killing his twin toddlers who died after he left them in a hot car. He had forgotten, he said, that he had not dropped them off at nursery, only realising they were still there upon returning to his car after a day at work. He was charged with two counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

It is unimaginable to think about what he and his wife must be going through, if his defence is to be believed – and this is perhaps a surprisingly common occurrence, with presumably overworked and sleep-deprived parents appearing to be so accustomed to a daily routine that a small mishap can throw them off balance.

On Monday, the man’s wife spoke to US media, saying that her husband, Juan Rodriguez, was a good person and would never have meant to hurt their children.

It was important for us to cover her comments that she was “hurting more than I ever imagined possible” and that her husband would “never forgive himself for this mistake". Our first response, as readers, might be to wonder how a parent could be so negligent. But there is often a lot more to such stories, as Juan’s wife Marissa made clear.

When a British teenager accused 12 Israelis of raping her, we covered this initial story after they were detained by police in Cyprus, where the alleged incident happened.

Police are now charging her with public mischief, after she withdrew her accusation. But in our follow-up, we have made clear her personal defence – that she felt “angry and insulted” after finding out that a consensual sex act had been filmed without her permission. Not a justification for what she then did, but a partial explanation, as she clearly felt violated. It’s important that as editors, and as readers, we bear in mind that there is often more to the story.

Yours,

Olivia Alabaster

International editor