Richard Jewell Case Study By Ronald J. Ostrow  In the early
morning on July 27, 1996, with the summer Olympic Games underway
in Atlanta, a pipe bomb exploded in the city’s Centennial Park,
killing two people and injuring 111. In the days following, law
enforcement agencies began to focus on a security guard named
Richard Jewell, who initially had been praised for helping
evacuate the area. The media, particularly the Atlanta
newspaper, the Atlanta-based CNN and NBC (which was broadcasting
the Olympics) were quick to publish the police suspicions. The
Richard Jewell story presented the media with an irresistible
"read" – the tale of a hero-turned-suspect in the bombing at the
1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The case raises major issues about the
relations between the press and government sources. We focus on
two related issues: Given that police can make mistakes, what
level of proof and sourcing is required to say a story is
verified? And do journalists have a responsibility balance the
public’s right to know with