I walked into a local Weigels yesterday morning. I was in the process of re-fueling my vehicle and went in to get a cup of coffee and a free News-Sentinel. Weigels currently has a special promotion, buy a 16 oz cup of coffee for .99 plus tax and get a paper, Monday – Saturday. I like the promotion because I don’t feel like I am paying for the less than desirable Knoxville daily paper.

When I walked up to the newspaper rack the top copy was upside down. I did what I normally do, I grabbed one about six deep in the stack. I put the paper and coffee on the counter to get my $1.08. I was engaged in a telephone conversation with someone on my cellphone. When I looked at the paper, I asked the person on the phone. Have you seen the front page and they said Yes.

I said I don’t want to see a viewing of a body in a casket. To which the person on the phone and the two Weigels employees all laughed in agreement. When I got to my vehicle, I realized that the good people at Weigels had turned the papers upside down to refrain from persons being subjected to the offensive picture.

This is not new ground for the News-Sentinel. Several years ago there was an accident on the Civic Coliseum parking garage deck and they published a picture of the deceased man pinned between the equipment and the wall.

So, Knoxville’s only daily paper has the official designation of daily tabloid. Jack McElroy should be so proud. From his role covering Columbine to now in Knoxville with pictures of funeral viewings on the front page.