Truly a Scandal Sheet

When I was in junior high school, I had a teacher who referred to all pieces of paper, but particularly newspapers, as “scandal sheets.”

Fortunately for whatever current affairs minded students he had, his advice on newspapers probably did not carry a lot of weight since he taught industrial arts.

But there is an article in today’s DPP that makes you wonder about what he said.

The first sentence of an article titled, “Two teens shot on West Side, "reads

“Two teens were wounded by gunfire Saturday night on St. Paul's West Side as the city's Cinco de Mayo celebrations ended nearby. Two teens were wounded by gunfire Saturday night on St. Paul's West Side as the city's Cinco de Mayo celebrations ended nearby.”

That’s it. There is no mention anyplace that there was any reason to believe that Cinco de Mayo had any connection to the shooting. We may find that out later, but except for the sensationalistic opening, the article gives no hint that the neighborhood celebration would have any connection with the story.

Using that kind of thinking, any crime that takes place anywhere in the city in late January or early February could be connected to the Winter Carnival. Of course, the Carnival is run by the rich and white for the rich and white and for downtown, not by minority people in a neighborhood.

Just think what crimes might be connected with the Republican National Convention.

Methinks that Ms. Leslie Brooks Suzukamo needs to examine both her work and her motives.

UPDATE -5/5/08

In an article today St. [sic] Paul / Four teens, adult held in shootings, Nick Ferraro notes way down in the sixth paragraph,

[Police spokesperson] Panos said the shootings had nothing to do with the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta celebration that had just ended nearby.

Considering the placement that the paper and Ms. Leslie Brooks Suzukamo gave the matter Sunday, this should have been given better placement.