The article “Whitesburg diesel spill was inevitable accident, officials say” is about an accident diesel spill that shut off municipal water in Whitesburg, Kentucky on Feb. 12, 2011.
The article has a problem with giving credit. The headline and lede say “officials say.” This is very confusing for the reader. Which officials? The writer needs to be more specific; she never says which officials she is referring to.
The second graf states the facts of the spill but lacks attribution. It says it was the third contamination in three years and that the diesel leaked into the North Fork of the Kentucky River. How can the reporter know this information? Why doesn’t she state her source? The first half of the article has no attribution.
The rest of the article has only one other source, Art Smith of the Environmental Protection Agency. I think the reporter could have balanced the story more if she had interviewed someone else as well. A regular person affected by the lack of water could have added interesting details.
The positive side of the article is that it includes valuable commentary from a believable, reputable source from the EPA. Although it could use some more attribution, the content is strong and clear.
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