“Mr. McElroy:
I was shocked at the front page picture last week of the dead juvenile in the casket and opined on my blog about it. I didn’t feel that I should contact you about it.
However, your editorial decision to publish in the Don Jacobs online story today the identity of the juvenile male that attempted suicide this morning. Revealing his mother’s identity and their home address is unbelievable and unconscionable.
If you care I have opined about this at my blog. I hope that you will have Jack Lail edit the online story immediately and certainly not print it all in tomorrow’s print edition.”
Within 127 minutes of my email. Mr. McElroy responded. Here is his response.
“We don’t know that this young man attempted suicide. We do know that a child was found shot in his room. We (and most other newspapers, I believe) regularly publish the identities of children killed by accident. We’ve removed the specific street address online, however. Thanks for the note.”
I do appreciate that they have removed the home address. I just wonder what the News~Sentinel will say when this case is solved. I understand that it may not have been a suicide. However, I would hope that “real journalist” would err on the side of caution. This story isn’t going away and when you are the only daily paper in town. It ain’t like somebody is going to scoop you.
See even a blogger like me can have some impact. Why don’t you jump into blogging? The water is fine.
