Straight From the Source

Below is the letter I wrote to the local paper, the "St. John's Source" per their shitty article about Katie "Woman Dies in Tragic Auto Mishap". I suppose their response to my letter was justified all though some what infantile (I decided it was in bad taste to post their reply). What the hell is wrong with people? When did people become so fucking callus? Given they did change the language in the article, but not much.


I would like to inform you that I'm a friend of the deceased. I'm greatly disturbed by the insensitive manner in which you wrote this article. While I'm not sure of the reporting practices in St. John's, don't you think in such a sensitive situation you should report the facts more than observation? I was most upset by your decision to include the neighbor's quote, "I heard Crunch, crunch, crunch and then a girl screamed." That "crunch crunch" was the crushing of Katie's lungs. I understand that graphic details sell papers, but have some respect. My friend was not a cereal, "snap crackle and pop." She was a good person who was tragically killed. Even if that was a direct quote from a neighbor was it really necessary to put that in the article? I think you exercised some poor judgment in this piece.

I appreciate that you changed the language in the article, thank you for that. Going forward please be more sensitive in your writing. This piece was like adding insult to injury. We were already upset with Katie's loss.