I just finished going through the December 24, 2011 Cook County News-Herald again, thinking I missed the Christmas cheer the first time.
While it is a newspaper’s job to report the news, I was disappointed to see nothing but the courthouse incident on the front page, especially in the issue coming out at Christmas time. Shouldn’t we be seeing pictures of beautifully decorated homes, little children visiting Santa, acts of goodwill, etc.?
I realize citizens are curious about the courthouse happenings and we should be made aware of the prevalence of young women and older men. Could this information have been in its own section of the paper inside?
Residents of Cook County live here to avoid the hassle of big city living and all of its negativity, so it seemed out of place for a front page that looked like a typical Star-Tribune.
The victims physically involved in the events and their families, the underage women and their families, the alleged perpetrator and his family, and all the residents of Cook County are suffering. I can’t help but think a front page showing something positive and holiday-related would have been uplifting and less offensive to all.
Sharen Morrison
Lutsen Editor’s note: After considerable discussion, Cook County News-Herald staff agreed that this incident warranted the coverage it received. We could not imagine a holiday story that would have been appropriate on the front page alongside the coverage of the tragedy, so lighter news was included inside. We deeply regret that the December 24 issue was not the happy holiday issue readers are accustomed to receiving.
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