I'm surprised and disappointed that no one seems to recognize the danger in covering a man and a cause like this as if it were any other news story. At the very least, it should have been put in the Daily Life section, as a music industry story. It should not have had the key position on the Speed Read page. It should not have been featured with a large full-color photo on the first page of the Local News section.
The story might have been justifiable if it had been refocused like this: CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS ANGERED BY WHITE SUPREMACIST MUSIC PROMOTION. The same information could have been included, but with more quotes from civil rights organizations and none of the "family man" spin. As for announcing the 10,000 CD giveaway, I think that could have been handled better so parents would actually know how this will be accomplished. Sometimes the best way to treat fringe creeps is to ignore them, and sometimes it's best to refocus the story. But never should this kind of bigotry be legitimized. The Panzerfaust guys are no doubt jubilant at getting so much free marketing. Our family has been taking both Twin Cities papers for over 20 years, and the latest makeover had already moved us to look into switching from the PP to the daily NYT. But i dislike being driven from local coverage and opinions because the paper has lost its journalistic rudder. The tone and copy inches devoted to this kind of bigotry simply cannot go unchallenged. Gail O'Hare St. Paul Turning the Pioneer Press into a hybrid of USA Today/NY Post /Enquirer was the prerogative of its owners. But today's feature on the white supremacy recording enterprise has me stunned. The St. Paul co-owner of this garbage business is highlighted with TWO pictures, one large b/w on their Speed Read page and one full-color with lengthy article on the front-page of their Local News section (where its editorial section is now located). The avowed racist who seeks to attract young converts to his warped point of view is described as "A burly, down-home family man with a wife and three small children." Is Par Ridder the news genius we have to thank for this? Free speech is all well and good, but I think St. Paul has a right to say we've been ill-served by this anything-that-sells mentality. Because I'm still sputtering, I haven't much to offer as a suggested course of action, but I'd like to hear from others about what we might do. The MN News Council ( www.mtn.org ) comes to mind, but I'm not sure it has authority in this kind of case. It might be argued that the PP is giving unfair advantage to a private business, since it hasn't given this sort of attention to any other two-bit record label. At the very least, I think an editorial apology is in order. Please call or write to express your disgust at their marketing of a neo-Nazi. Gail O'Hare St. Paul _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
