Cute photo turns 'disgusting'
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share thisWhen a bull mastiff attacked a young Kulpmont girl back in April, we knew there would be considerable public discussion about the value, danger and care of pets - and our coverage of the issue.
But when we published a cute photo of a dog and its young owner sharing a "kiss" on the front page of Wednesday's edition, we were expecting nothing but "oohs" and "aahs."
Sometimes, you don't see it coming - the criticism, that is.
A letter to the editor and a few Sound Off calls have already made their way to our ears with words such as "appalled," "disgusting" and "ugly."
Not everyone likes dogs, and many people describe a slobbering lick from an animal with some of the words mentioned above. But who hasn't seen a dog lick its owner's face?
It's not for everyone, but we are surprised that some find it so offensive. I'm not sure that would have changed our minds about publishing the photo, but it's another reminder that you never know how readers will react.
From dogs to ... pork
The team at Pennsylvania's Associated Press put together another great series, this one detailing the process for handing out special grants, money that's often referred to as "pork."
While "local, local, local" is the mantra for newspapers today, particularly smaller dailies such as The News-Item, the value of such reports from AP is immeasurable. They have the resources, time and contacts to commit to such projects. As always, of course, we localized the information where possible, as we did in this case.
Pay It Forward
What a great exercise in community inspiration again this year with the second annual Pay It Forward contest, which we promote with sponsorship from PPL and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
We announced the winning entries, one voted on by the public, the other by a panel of judges, this past Sunday, and we'll be following up as the winners use their $500 (each) to "pay it forward."
The public judging was intense this year, as two groups went to great lengths to encourage people to vote for their causes through paper and online balloting.
We wish both could have won, but we're pleased to see the newspaper create such energy and excitement - especially for a good cause.
(Heintzelman, editor of The News-Item, writes "The Week In News" for each Saturday edition.)
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