Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Complaints and questions


C: Today's (Tuesday's) front page picture of the mobile home certainly added nothing to the story of the home invasion; the same picture showing all the junk in the yard was totally unnecessary. What a picture your paper paints of people who live in Greene County!
Also, while I'm on the subject - the featured story of the 2 pregnant sisters from Greene County in a recent Sunday edition glorified them and their (underage, I believe) pregnancies. Again, what a picture of Greene County residents.
I realize nothing noteworthy ever happens here (except the almighty Walmart's opening), but why do you always find it necessary to magnify our imperfections on your front pages? - C.S.

A: You know, it is what it is. Where the attacked couple lived is relevant; it's not exactly the most promising target for a robber. You kinda have to wonder. Murder is news, and what we do here is to cover the news. Social problems – like teenage pregnancy – are news too. We are a newspaper, not the Greene County Tourism Promotion Agency.

7 comments:

Ellipses said...

"Social problems – like teenage pregnancy – are news to."

"too."

;-)

Park Burroughs said...

Thanks.

Ellipses said...

I feel bad now.

LoL

Anonymous said...

What happens in Greene County should stay in Greene County?

So your point, letter writer, is that if it happens in Greene County it should be ignored by the local paper? The other residents of the county don't want to read about it in their newspaper - just let gossip take care of it? I'm sorry bad things happen in your neck of the woods but you can't expect a newspaper to ignore a story in an area they cover.

And if a person's place isn't presentable, then it's up to that person to clean it up...it's not the photographer's job to judge whether or not a crime scene looks "presentable".

The O-R covers good news from Greene County, and they also cover bad news and run photos of junky looking places in Washington County

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the Greene County complainer also contacted the Pittsburgh TV stations. All 3 stations covered this tragedy with all showing the location of the home invasion. You can travel many backroads in Greene and Wash counties and see much worse than was shown on the O-R front page.
As Park explained, the newspaper has a duty to print the news and the picture of the residence was where the crime took place. I for one could care less what the home looked like, my thoughts were about the terrible crime that took place and what it is doing to the victims family.

Chuck

Ellipses said...

My thoughts were "Jeez... why'd that guy have to kill that woman and wound that guy before they had a chance to reddup for the news people?"

Anonymous said...

Another "Let's just print good news" approach. BTW -- don't report on AIG, the economy, the auto industry, floods, forest fires, traffic accidents or murders. People might get the idea that these things are normal ...