At what point does news coverage become promotion? Jamie R. Westlake, pastor of Keystone United Methodist Church, is concerned about a trend in the Lifestyle section. Here is his letter:
“In just this past week, we’ve had front-page articles featuring the renewed sex lives of seniors (presented as a mechanical activity without moral implications), an alternative prom for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered teens (presented as a neat experience helping people really be themselves) and a travel story about the good time to be had in lovely Cassadaga (presented without the perspective that another segment of the population doesn’t believe spiritualism is harmless fun).
“The Times-Union has a fairly conservative editorial board and prints a Scripture of the day. I understand there probably is little relationship between the two sections of the paper, but the contrast is striking. I am a moderate, evangelical, United Methodist pastor, who is concerned. I wonder what your fundamentalist readers thought about the articles I mentioned. I don’t mind that the topics were covered, but you need to know they’re not harmless fluff pieces to a lot of folks. These articles represent a particular world view, that, I believe, went beyond tolerance to advocacy.”
In fact, 25 readers who protested the coverage of the alternative prom for gays said it went too far. There were seven photographs spread over two pages and a contact box for JASMYN, the advocacy organization for youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or uncertain about their sexual orientation. One reader who praised the story said it “encourages community acceptance.”
My comments: I have supported coverage of gay stories, because they are part of this community, too. The reader was not opposing coverage, but asking for balance. It’s a reasonable request.
Though proms were covered generously in Lifestyle this year, no traditional prom was covered so extensively. Nor were other alternative proms covered in this fashion, such as the First Baptist Church’s no-alcohol prom.
Finally, running the alternative prom story on Independence Day, when readers were expecting patriotic stories, was unfortunate timing. The story didn’t have to run on July 4.
Reader praises Sheriff’s Office
Joni Cusic, acting president of the Spring Park Neighborhood Association, said that the active role of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was not recognized in a June 23 story in some of the neighborhood sections on the demolition of the hotel at Interstate 95 and Emerson Street. MetroSquare officials purchased the hotel so the eyesore could be removed.
“I appreciate your article. However, I was greatly discouraged when you did not mention the efforts of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Our substation, Zone 3, Chief Justin Hill and all the officers have worked hard and long supporting our community,” Cusic wrote. “If it had not been for the involvement of the JSO keeping an eye on the drug dealers, hookers and homeless who ventured into this hotel, there would not have been any arrests and we would have continued crime within the area.”
