Comments on: The Kansas City Star Readers’ Representative plays devil’s advocate

By: a nony mouse

a nony mouse — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:32:21 +0000

Hi, I actually work for The Star’s web site. No Star editor chose to use that photo — it was added automatically by an Associated Press wire feed. (And for the person who asked, yes, it is too much to ask that photos are checked by beforehand the web editor. We usually have one web editor on duty, and hundreds of photos and stories a day are posted on our site automatically from the wire feed.) The photo was removed the very instant someone here saw it, for the reasons you point out. One photo of a naked dude isn’t a fair representation of the parade, especially since it was a year old. Why a year-old photo got sent out with the story is a complete mystery. You’d have to take that up with The Associated Press.

Also, it doesn’t seem to me that Derek was defending using the photo. That would be absurd, since, again, it wasn’t even from that parade. I think he was just pointing out that there is some division on this within the gay community. (Of which I am a member.) I’ve worked here for a long time, and I can’t remember ever seeing us run a photo of a drag queen in a boa (or something similar) in our local pride coverage. Some people would say that’s a good thing, and some would say it goes too far in an attempt at fair representation.

By: Benton Quest

Benton Quest — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:28:54 +0000

I appreciate the “Tea Party” illustration. I look for something that would be illustrative that is not necessarily racial. This is great.

Also, thank you for a well written letter. Sometimes editors need to realize that there are intelligent people who read papers and not assume we can all be dazzled or baffled.

By: tina

tina — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:08 +0000

excellent job

By: CLS

CLS — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:14:23 +0000

I too wrote Mr. Donovan because his answer tended to avoid admitting that the photo was from a year ago. Using an old photo, from a different parade, to illustrate this year’s parade in New York, is questionable ethically.

Surely they had photos from this year and from the same parade, that they could have used.

That said, the media always does this with stories and photos. They pick what will attract attention for them, which means readers and ad revenue. They don’t necessarily pick what is accurate and most news worthy. This is why we get hysterical stories on a regular basis about every possible “fear mongering” campaign you can imagine. Lobby groups know this and use it to their advantage: from Greens shrieking about the melting of the Himalayas to fundies screaming about the dangers of porn to hysterical mothers overstating the “stranger danger” risk.

By: Other Fred in the UK

Other Fred in the UK — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:53:25 +0000

My apologies for using your name, I was totally unaware of your existence until now. I would post simply as Fred, but on this site I would likely be assumed to be from somewhere in the U.S. Adding “in the UK” seemed a logical way of preventing this.

I had no intention, or desire, to steal your name or pose as you. My apologies for any annoyance or confusion I have inadvertently caused, both to the real original Fred in the UK and to other commentators. In future I will be posting using this alternative moniker.

By: Jerry Sloan

Jerry Sloan — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:14:54 +0000

Several years ago The Sacramento Bee, a McClatchy paper like the KCS, had the habit of running the most outlandish picture of drag queens they could find in the San Francisco parade.

They ran a picture of a man identified as a drag queen who had a full beard and glitter on his face.

I contacted the Bee’s ombudsperson to inform him the man had been misidentified as he was not a drag queen but in what we call genderfuck and he should have been identified as such.

The ombudsperson got a big kick out of the mistake and made a report to Bee management and since then the Bee has not run a picture of a drag queen but pictures representing more of the majority of the people in the parade both in SF and Sacramento pride celebrations.

By: Blossom

Blossom — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:54:13 +0000

Yes, because you are THE one and ONLY person in the UK named Fred, obviously “Fred in the UK” was stolen from you. And because no one else could possibly come up with such a clever and unusual handle. hehehe

But back to topic… nicely done, Timothy, you made your points quite well.

By: real Fred in the UK

real Fred in the UK — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:49:02 +0000

Glad to see someone was so impressed with my monica they’ve actually stolen it. Some time ago in fact.

By: Paul in Canada

Paul in Canada — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:14:55 +0000

Thanks for taking this on, Timothy. Well said and well done!

By: Fred in the UK

Fred in the UK — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:54:03 +0000

Is it too much to ask that pictures are checked by the web editor before they are posted rather than after?