Getting mugged

Managing editor Gary Graham questioned the appropriateness of running a file photo of convicted murderer John Lipinski in which he is grinning (the mug was cropped from a family photo). “Sometimes our mugs - their tone is inappropriate with the story.”

Graham cited other examples when we’ve run follow-up stories on car crashes or other tragedies that include photos of long-dead victims smiling.

“Sometimes I think no mug is better than running what we have,” he said.

Another storm brews in the distance

Features editor Pia Hansen announced she has “a bit of good news from crossword hell.”

But first, the bad news. The producers of the crossword puzzle that runs in the Sunday comics section missed their deadline, which the puzzle won’t appear in that section for the next two weeks.

As if that weren’t bad enough, come Sunday, people looking for the answers to last week’s puzzle will instead find a placeholder - a gigantic Jumble puzzle which, when placed outside in the right light, can be read from space.

The “good news,” is that after a full morning of phone calls, Hansen was able to get the answers to last Sunday’s crossword puzzle, which will be published in Sunday’s “Today” section. This will prevent readers still holding on to last week’s puzzle from, as Hansen put it, “burning down the building.”

Hansen assures us that things should be back to normal in a couple of weeks.