Photo of 'Painted on Bikini Mother' OR Photo of 'Convicted Drug Dealer'...Which one would you rather see?
Blog: One Girl's Opinion
February 26, 2010
I'm not sure what this blog will bring, but as I was reading The Pilot online today, like I do everyday, I realized that I keep seeing photo after photo after photo of convicted drug dealers lately.
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that these folks (if proven guilty) have been caught and taken off the streets.
I just want to say that I would rather see an attractive photo (i.e. Painted on Bikini Mother) on the Home/Front Page than some depressing photo of a drug dealer. I'm all about reporting ALL the news, the good...the bad...and the ugly, but it would be my choice to bury the bad and the ugly somewhere other than the Home/Front page.
With all that said, the great thing about a newspaper is that I can just click/flip past the articles/columns that I have no interest in at that given moment.
Just one girl's opinion ;-)
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Comments
pilotreader 3 years, 2 months ago
In all honesty, I believe with the strong abundance of military families in Moore County that we could adorn the front page with "home town heroes" instead of scantily clad 'moms' and/or low life drug dealers. Although I do respect the tireless efforts of law enforcement in cleaning up our community, I don't believe that putting the offender on the front page does anything to deter future offenders. As far as bikini mom, I'm still scratching my head over that one being front page news. I think someone was thinking with something else other than their brain when giving the go-ahead for that.
Again, of all the military personnel who have achieved great things who reside in this area I think the Pilot should reserve the front page for more admirable achievements than selling oxycontin or looking good in a bikini.
carolinacountrygirl 3 years, 2 months ago
Thank you pilot reader. I agree with you that their is better news to put on the front page than drug dealers. We have heroes in the military, heroes who have died, retired people(vets,teachers, inventors,etc....) who led interesting lives in nursing homes with stories to tell, and local people with home made crafts to highlight, teachers (who are making positive changes and lessons in their classrooms, who need volunteers, who need supplies) , golfers,farmers,small interesting local places to visit, local produce to highlight, volunteers to praise, kids who do positive things for their community such as girl scouts trying to achieve or have achieved their gold awards, and boy scouts the eagle award, who may need our help with projects for our communities, 4H kids and many others to put on the front page. Give me time i can name more. These are positive types of people in our community. Lets put the negative people on another page. As for the painted lady i find no offense with her pics, but i do not think it is appropriate for the front page.
Woody 3 years, 2 months ago
Bikini Mom!
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
@ carolinacountrygirl - I agree. There are so many wonderful people that could be highlighted on the Home/Front pages of our local paper. Good followup post. Thank you!
@ jdep - Not sure to whom you were directing your post, but did you even read my post. There was no 'whining' about the front page not having happy news. I also stated that I'm glad that the drug dealers are off the streets......no, negative comments were made about the police in any of the above posts (that I saw). Therefore, no police officers should be offended. This blog post is not about the police nor is anyone judging the police from what I'm reading above in the other posts....? Please re-read my post and the others and post accordingly. Thank you!
I agree that the 'bad' news should be in the paper, but I, for one, don't like seeing it day after day on the Home/Front page.
camesh 3 years, 2 months ago
I agree with jdep. Scumbags pics should be on the front page every week.(not just online) Readers need to know who these offenders are and where they live. Makes our county a safer place for the people who are doing the positive things. Keep up the good work police officiers and sheriffs officers. You are appreciated!
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
I hate to repeat myself....but, this blog post was not about the police and the job that they are doing for our County. If you read my posts on other threads, you will see that I support the police and respect the job that they do.
This blog post was intended to get your opinion of what you prefer to see on the front page, 'only'. Just trying to make sure that the 'point' I was trying to make is clear.
carolinacountrygirl 3 years, 2 months ago
@thank you NCgirl! @jdep-please try to follow the topic above and not digress. Quit changing words and adding things no one said. Who said anything negative about the police? 1st, I thank our local "hero" for what he did at Pinelake Nursing Home. He saved my adopted mom and her husband who were residents at that time and both have now passed away. 2nd, my family was recently devastated by cold blooded murder and i thank the entire police dept. for catching the young men (fast).3rd, mom of future police officer (he is considering it)who served in Iraq. Therefore, i am not sheltered. I am guessing you want the front page to be about the police only since that was your entire post that was off the subject matter. Now, back to NCgirls blog about........the front page of the Pilot and your opinion.
ASU88 3 years, 2 months ago
How about a convicted drug painted red...since they were caught "RED HANDED"! Neither option should be on the front page of the so'called community paper. Too bad we don't have a second option on a local paper to read. Not only should the faces of the arrested drug dealers and other criminals be posted in the paper but I wished a most wanted page was posted so that the law abiding citizens could turn information into the LEO's of the county and assist them in doing their jobs to protect us from those that choose not to follow the laws of our land. And to think that some folks in this county questioned the need to build a bigger and more secure detention center in Carthage! Maybe those that questioned this need can open up their homes for a pre-trial bed & breakfast inn for those that have made the decision to not obey the law. I know innocent to proven guilty but would you want these individuals spending the night as your guest?
debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago
Many of the above postings ignore the definition of NEWS. News happens. Sometimes news is bad, sometimes good. To censor bad news in favor of good is not fair to readership. A plane crash or explosion or shooting at a nursing home is certainly bad news, but people want (and have a right) to know. Compared to other papers I read (and have worked for) I think The Pilot balances the prominence of "good" and "bad" remarkably well. Community events are covered, citizens who help others are pictured throughout the paper. Putting drug dealers on page 1 informs readers that drug trafficking goes on in Moore County, and that law inforcement is responding aggressively. And, by the way, any local resident featured in a national publication like Sports Illustrated is news. The Pilot followed coverage of John Edwards from The National Enquirer to New York Magazine and beyond. Of course he was fully dressed ....then. debster
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
@jdep & others on this thread - Now I know why jdep's above post is not relevant to my initial post...jdep is a college student who is posting harsh/strong comments in an effort to see how folks will respond and then report back to his classroom. I know this, because he stated this fact in another thread (I'm assuming jdep is a 'he').
@Jdep - I hope this assignment succeeds in molding you and your classmates into more well-rounded adults who are ready to make this a better society for all.
Mtnneer88 3 years, 2 months ago
@Dsalomon Let's hope no local resident ever poses for Playboy/Playgirl I would hate to see what a center-fold would look like on the front page of the Pilot! I guess you would have to reformat the picture to fit on the news page. You can stop sucking up to your bosses @ the Pilot I'm sure they will keep your liberal self on the pay roll!
debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago
I will defend what I think it correct (just as you do) no matter who employs me. I'm just not sure how wanting to see news of all kinds, in compliance with the First Amendment, on the front page makes me a "liberal." Perhaps you will offer a definition.
carolinacountrygirl 3 years, 2 months ago
NCgirl-great comments i wondered if he/she was out to start arguments with other posters. Mtnneer88- good call. debsolomon - We don't want to ignore the news. Putting it on another page--IS STILL THE NEWS. This whole blog that everyone can't focus on is about what you want to see on the front page-now i've repeated it yet again. You defend what you said so should we. ASU88-I do like what you had to say. What about a criminal page or section? I know i don't always watch Americas Most Wanted or NC Wanted and this way more people can hopefully help our local and state police. I would definitely like to see missing people pics.
debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago
No, the news is what's new, what just happened. And that's what belongs on the front page. If a drug dealer was arrested on Tuesday, it belongs on the front page Wednesday. In the same vein, if a firefighter rescues a child, or if a citizen receives a humanitarian award, it belongs on the next front page publlished. News is immediacy. The other feel good/happy stories can go on the front page too (I am not an editor, this is just my opinion) but the NEWS gets priority. If you look at Pilot front pages for several months, you'll see many, many such stories on the front page -- from homeless dogs to military famillies. Unfortunately, lots of hard news is what you call BAD. But it happened, and deserves visibility. The crime page idea sounds good; however many crimes reflect deeper community problems (like gangs, drug trafficking, domestic violence)...and that's front-page NEWS. Enough from me. debster
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
@ Debster - I do appreciate your opinions, so I dug a little deeper into the subject in question - 'News'.
If I may, here is a quote from Wikipedia: 'Newsworthiness is defined as a subject having sufficient relevance to the public or a special audience to warrant press attention or coverage. The news has always covered subjects that catch people's attention and differ from their "ordinary lives". The news is often used for escapism and thus normal events are not newsworthy. Whether the subject is love, birth, weather, or crime, journalists' tastes inevitably run toward the unusual, the extraordinary. The subject and newsworthiness of a story DEPENDS on the AUDIENCE, as THEY decide what they do and do not have an interest in.'
So, can we say - all news is subjective, opinionative and/or relative???
I do agree that 'so called BAD' news SHOULD be (not 'deserves to be')reported. But, I still think it could be sectioned off the Front/Home page. If we want to read/see it, we'll find it. And, again I will say, I do respect your opinion, so please continue to bring it.
debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago
When someone starts quoting Wikipedia, I know it's time to stand down. Will suggest a Bad News page to editors. Now...shall we dig into Duke basketball? debster
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
Thanks Debster! I think a 'Bad News Page', or whatever you want to call it would be an interesting idea to try out on the public. Sorry, not a Duke fan. My blood runs Carolina Blue!
Yukonjohn 3 years, 2 months ago
Bikini Mom gets my vote!!
ASU88 3 years, 2 months ago
@ncgirl, We must be kin...we think the same on several issues!
@Yukonjohn, If the front page of the Pilot was just for straight guys...Bikini Mom would get my vote but since any child can have access to view the newspaper and read the story I feel that the story would have covered the subject better than the paint covered her body! However as a child I did sneak a peek at National Geographic...and they did not use body paint back then!
NCgirl 3 years, 2 months ago
@ASU88 - Blogging Cousins!!! ;-)
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