If it bleeds, it leads...sometimes
I asked our Readers' Panel if they wanted more or fewer stories about crime on the front page. (It was pegged to this story June 7 about a hostage taking.)
Of 139 responses, 43 people said they wanted less, 38 said more, 13 said no change and the rest qualified their answers in some way.
Some didn't want crime news sensationalized. Some said that it becomes more important to them when it happens in or near their neighborhoods. Some wanted more good news. Some liked the "most wanted" Monday feature. A few didn't like the photograph of the victim with her torn shirt and sports bra showing.
A sampling of comments; be sure to read to the end:
If it bleeds it leads, right. But it doesn't capture my interest. I have almost no interest in the doings of the typically stupid persons who are criminals. A brilliant criminal plot, that's different!
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I'm more interested in crime stories that are unsolved or to know the location of a series of crime -- to know to stay out of the area or to be aware in the area. Crime stories themselves are akin to gossip to me if it doesn't affect me.
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No. I think it breeds a society living in fear and mistrust where maybe mistrust should not be placed. It's just a shocker, to start a buzz. Not necesarily the stuff real news is made of.
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Yes, when crime occurs I like to know the facts so my family can protect ourselves as much as possible. This was a big story and I am glad that it was explained on the front page of the paper as we live pretty near the standoff site.
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We do not think personal tragedy crime of this nature is front page news! We think it can even encourage copy cat and might border on sensationalism by the media!
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I would like to read fewer stories, but that would probably only happen if there was less crime. I think it would be nice to have some good news on the front page as well.
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Fewer. I don't equate crime with "news."
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It's a crime the amount of time the paper spends on Obama. I thought you wanted to be objective!!
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