Editorial Comment: Stories which Hermann Hearsay will never cover!

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  11/7/2010
Post:  1,025

The editorial board here at Hermann Hearsay has a long-standing policy that there are certain stories which we will NEVER publish.  Recent coverage of these types of stories by another online news agency has convinced us that we have been correct in our conservative editorial policy.  We affirmed our policy in our Saturday morning policy meeting this past week.

We will NEVER EVER stoop so low as to cover any of the following sensational, voyeuristic and privacy invasive stories:

1. motor vehicle wrecks and collisions where mangled and blood-stained vehicles are photographed wrapped around a tree or wrapped around another vehicle while the occupant(s) has/have been transported to either the hospital or to the morgue,
2. single-family and multiple-family dwelling fires where homes and apartments are photographed or video-tape recorded while they are engulfed in flames and the occupants stand helplessly by shivering in the cold night air, and
3. funerals and grave site burial services where bereaved family members and friends are photographed or video-tape recorded during what should rightfully be their personal and private moments of overwhelming grief.

This type of "news coverage" is OBSCENE.  We will NEVER seek to profit from the misery and personal suffering of other human beings.  Yes, these types of stories might attract a few extra readers seeking to satisfy their morbid and voyeuristic curiosity, but we choose not to be in the business of publishing that kind of heartless, graphic and sensational material. 

Additionally, we have taken the editorial position that we will take the moral high ground and denounce publishers who engage is such obscene "news reporting".  Local news media organizations much self-regulate the entire industry.  In this vein, we call upon CNL (CountyNewsLIVE.com) to cease and desist from this type of sensational and obscene reporting.  If this type of reporting does not cease at CNL, we promise that we will take it upon ourselves to make them quite famous within the local community for their tasteless coverage of such stories.

For reference, here are the most recent examples of sensational reporting:

1. Wednesday, 11/3 CNL posting:  http://countynewslive.com/content/2010/nov/03/young-driver-swerves-miss-dog-gellert-st-loses-control-and-hits-tree
2. Wednesday, 11/3 CNL posting:  http://countynewslive.com/content/2010/nov/03/updated-additional-photos-additional-facts-stony-hill-area-family-loses-everythi
3. Saturday, 11/6 CNL posting:  http://countynewslive.com/content/2010/nov/06/behalf-grateful-nation-honors-extended-friday-late-ralph-sellenschutter-us-milit