Question: I’m as progressive as I can be as a 50-something Spokalooite. But c’mon … “sniffing barstools” as a topic in the Friday entertainment section? I don’t care if 7 is a feeble attempt to get younger people to read the daily newspaper; you folks have taken one deep step into the gutter.

Please don’t tell me that, “If I’m offended, I don’t have to read it.” I want to know what I can do in Spokane on the weekend, so I’m going to open this section. Then, it was in the headline on the first inside page, so I was offended even before I got to read the citizens’ comments. The name of the article sums it up for The Spokesman-Review: “Bad choices.” — Al Gilson, Spokane

Answer: We’ve taken some complaints from readers who believe 7 is offensive for one reason or another. We’ve taken far more compliments from readers who find it interesting, stimulating, contemporary. We’ve had a few dropped subscriptions. But 7 is selling far more papers than Weekend. And our advertisers love it. Not all parts of the paper are for all people. I can only say again, if you see something in the paper you don’t like, just pass it by. — Steve Smith, editor

Where are the faces?

Question: In recent weeks I’ve noticed a number of photos of individuals whose heads have been cropped or not photographed at all. Or the subject is facing away from the camera so we can only guess who it is. Even a horse and rider were reduced to only horse ears and a riding helmet. Is this a new trend? This reader still likes to see faces, even columnists’ faces! — Kathy Berrigan, Kettle Falls

Answer: This is not a new trend. Unfortunately, in our haste to be creative, to provide a new angle on something that is otherwise familiar, we can allow artistic values to overtake news values. Sometimes the best photo is the simplest. This e-mail is a timely reminder. — Steve Smith, editor