Passenger Trains > Publisher Calls Out Post-Dispatch For Bostian Photo

The publisher of a St. Louis-area newsletter called out the Post-Dispatch for using a 2007 file photo of then-conductor Amtrak Conductor Brandon Bostian to illustrate a 2019 story about Chicago-St. Louis Amtrak service. 

Bostian, who became an Amtrak engineer, was at the controls of a train in Philadelphia that derailed in 2015, killing eight people.

The cutline on the photo made no mention that it was taken in 2007, or of the 2015 wreck and pending criminal action. 

The item appeared in a newsletter published by John Hoffman, who writers about a variety of local issues. He is a former elected official. Here is a link to the newsletter, along with a couple of screen grabs of the pertinent section. http://johnhoffmann.net/combined_257.pdf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/19 12:35 by walstib.

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While in this case, it wouldn't be expected for the writer to know the history of Mr. Bostain. They should have used a more current photo...and perhaps even one taken with a train on the line in question. Accurate journalism is pretty much dead in America. 

File photos are more often than not inaccurate, whether of trains, and now we see, of people.

One quibble with this thread. It's Bostian, not "Bostain." (At least the Post-Dispatch got that right.)

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/19 12:12 by Dcmcrider.

File photo. Not a big deal. The fact that the Engineer was involved in the 188 accident isn't relevant.

Posted from Android

I’ll fix the spelling, thanks for the correction Paul.

Posted from iPhone

BTW, innocent until proven guilty. He was an excellent San Diegan conductor--rode with him a few times. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/19 20:38 by RRBaron.

That looks like the same photo used in the crash news stories before it was cropped to a mug shot.  Same hat, same expression.

The photo is woefully out of date. It's use was lazy. And the creepy look on Mr Bostian's face reminds me of a child. It is time to find fresh material.

Others being bad or worse is no excuse for this paper's error. And yes, I groan every time the local TV station uses clip art of a CTA train to talk about passenger rail.

I agree that the photo was not "inaccurate" in any way, but the Post-Dispatch certainly should cease using it because of the baggage it later acquired. Find a new file photo, please.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/19 14:38 by toledopatch.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> While in this case, it wouldn't be expected for
> the writer to know the history of Mr. Bostain.
> They should have used a more current photo...and
> perhaps even one taken with a train on the line in
> question. Accurate journalism is pretty much dead
> in America. 

Well said, Anderson109!

Copy19 Wrote:
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> That looks like the same photo used in the crash
> news stories before it was cropped to a mug shot.
>  Same hat, same expression.

You’re absolutely correct, JB!

At least it was an Amtrak train.  I've seen other instances where the article is about Amtrak and they show some European train.  

John