BAD NEWS
Two recent news items have got me chewing bile.
The first concerns my hometown newspaper. The Chapel Hill News, never affraid to address the tough issues (who can forget the three year saga of what is to become of the Orange County Animal Protection Society), has hit us again with another barn-burner:
Newsflash!...
The first annual Rock Paper Scissors Tournament took place over the weekend at the Cave in Chapel Hill. In case you missed the excitment, The CHN has devoted 31 paragraphs and front page status to the inaugural event.
Meanwhile...
On Monday evening two women were the victims of sexual assaults at two Carrboro apartment complexes. In both incidents men broke into the victims homes. In one of the assaults, the victim was molested at knife point; in the other, the women - who struggled -was tied up and raped. Currently both suspects (or one?) are at-large.
So where is the Chapel Hill News' voice on this matter? Umm, it's muffled, buried in a foot-note in the "In Brief" section of the paper, (I seem to be the only one of my friends who bothers to read this section) - Summarized in five brief paragraphs (I can't even find the story on the on-line edition of the paper).
Dear Chapel Hill News: In the matter of violence against women, the key to prevention is awareness. As a newspaper you have a great responsibility here. Do not take it lightly.
The second item comes to me via Eric Muller over at Is That Legal?
In a blurb about a Washington Post story about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show , in which the author describes the dogs as "row after row of four-legged JonBenets in cages, petted, prodded and photographed.", Muller ponders,
"Is it just me, or is this line more than a bit disrespectful to the memory of a child murder victim?"
Yes, Eric, you're right, it is impossibly disrespectful. And it makes my blood boil.
posted by John Allore @ 2/11/2004 10:23:00 AM
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