Salt in the wounds
I was perplexed and saddened when a friend of mine, whose brother was killed in the Oct. 3 crash on I-79 in Greene County, told me that your newspaper had seen fit to write up the toxicology screening months after the fact Tuesday in the story “Report: Teens huffing before fatal crash.”
Journalists always walk a fine line when reporting on tragedies, with the aim being to report the news without causing undue harm to those affected by the tragedy. Due to how much time has elapsed since the event, and the fact that there are no legal proceedings going on to which the toxicology screen would be relevant, this sprinkling of salt in the families’ wounds seems to have very little news value.
What does this piece hope to accomplish, besides lecturing dead teenagers? Surely something else is going on in your neighborhood that merits more space in print?
Tracey Hickey
Pittsburgh