Cameraman: Shame on Paper for Using B.S.

Cameraman: I’m appalled right now at the Sandpoint Brand X. I am reading the story about Connie’s closing yesterday and as I am reading the story, I read they will sit you and and bull**** with you. Granted this was a quote they got from someone that they interviewed. Ever since I have been in newspaper, I have at least had some sort of a thing called standards and I would NEVER, I mean NEVER print anything, even a quote containing vulgarity in something that a 10 year old could be reading. Thank goodness that the SR doesn’t print anything like that (now DFO, I know that you posted a PFPD report that contained profane language but the report was not printed in it’s entirety in the SR. I did read that and was not taken back because of a warning before hand and also that it wasn’t in print in the daily newspaper that a 10 year old kid could have been reading. Since when does anyone (editor, reporter, or publisher) in a so-called professional newspaper even allow such language to be published in a newspaper that goes into our schools, and is read by thousands daily. I hope that Sandpoint brand X lost some subscribers because of that.

DFO: Occasionally, the Spokesman-Review will use stronger language in a story if it’s part of a quote AND pertinent to the story. For example, if an official sez something vulgar at a public meeting that is the focus of follow-up controversy, the s/he might be quoted. There has to be a good case for using the language. I don’t think Brand X/Sandpoint made it. As far as Huckleberries goes, I wouldn’t allow strong language up front for the sake of strong language. But I will occasionally as part of a police reported, quoted in toto, if it adds to the understanding of the situation. After all, I don’t think many 10-year-olds read this blog.