Letter to the Editor

I am writing in response to Bryan Laudano's opinion article printed in the April 25 edition, page 6, titled "News isn't newsworthy." I don't pretend to be any sort of writer. I am becoming aware of this in my English 112 class, where writing has been a nightmare for me. Despite this, I know how to read well. Laudano, the opinions editor at the Southern News, wrote an article that was so bad, even I know it deserves to line the birdcage.

First of all, using vulgarities to get one's point across is lazy and unimaginative. Laudano used at least three I know of, in what I can only determine was a rant. That was just simply not cool. Here are the other things that were not cool: the month of April was summed up in three stories: Imus, Alec (not Alex) Baldwin and the tragedy of Virginia Tech.

Let's start with the issue of Imus. He has a first name and it is Don. Mr. Laudano did not mention this once. Secondly, he used Alec Baldwin's full name four times, and each time he spelled it wrong. It’s not Alex; it is Alec. And shame on you for lumping the horrific events at Virginia Tech with this other nonsense. What about Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol? Or, that poor, little baby girl, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead? Either of those would have at least made sense.

You don't think this is newsworthy stuff? Look at the revenues of the tabloid magazines, or how much Michael Douglas sold his wedding pictures to OK! magazine for. It’s worth something to someone, just not to you or me. Yet, interestingly enough, there you were, writing about it. I personally agree with your views; that's why I am reading the Southern News and not People magazine. But as a writer for a newspaper, you need to find more creative and effective ways to express yourself. What does the word “that” refer to in the sentence about shooting the messenger? It makes no sense. The article "the" was missing in the sentence about Darfur, as well as several other mistakes—both grammatical and otherwise. I guarantee this is full of mistakes, but I would never accept any title with the word 'editor' in it.

If you want to criticize the news media, look in the mirror. Don't wait until five minutes before the article is due to write, revise and proofread, like you obviously did this time.

Stephanie Siford

Related article: "News isn't newsworthy"