The comments are a horrific commentary on our community, and the only reason I'm glad they exist without the editorial standards of the Letters section is it gives us an insight into just how full-on racist and willfully ignorant a too-large segment of our community is. If anything, I want them to keep spewing their bile there, sort of like keeping their hands where I can see them. 

As far as the newspaper's fumbling attempts to gain/keep readers through sensationalistic and even ghoulish stunts like the one above... I'm afraid this is only the beginning. Have you watched television news lately? I haven't. These kinds of microphone-in-the-face-of-tragic-victim "How do you feel?" crap are why. Never mind bloody "This might be disturbing to some viewers" scenes. Ghoulish behavior is in, haven't you heard?

That DNT-approved comment asking everyone to go the chainsaw-massacre route really is a new low. Or maybe this earlier DNT-approved comment is even lower:

"Start being proactive instead of reactive and this stuff would happen less and less. Start killing some of these criminals around here. The cops ain't using enough bullets."

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Nearby on that DNT comment thread is a note from a moderator:

FROM THE MODERATOR: We don't hesitate to shut down comment boards on stories. We also moderate comments so we can eliminate inappropriate posts on ones we choose to keep open. Allowing comments gives people a chance to share opinions whether others agree or disagree. But it also allows us to gather even more information during breaking news.

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Interesting theory to justify allowing the bigoted free-for-all... but how much news gathering is going to take place from "Scooby D," "name p,"  and all the other fake names the commenters on that thread have used?

And even if there were real names used - are all those bigoted, hate-spewing, violence-inciting lunatics are the DNT's network of sources in the community?

Chill out, Barrett. You invite discussion then you lash out at anyone who disagrees with you. Talking about my mom's splattered brains seems pretty low.

Bating?  I think you put your comment in the wrong post.  You must have meant the "so right it's wrong" post.

Seriously though...how would showing the blood showcase viewers/readers?  If someone was watching the story and saw the image, wouldn't that mean they already have that person viewing?  In fact, the only place I heard about the images without looking at the actual report was right here from you.  So good job.  You've actually been the one that caused the DNT's story's viewership to go up.


And with that, I'm bowing out too.  It's my birthday today so therefor I'm right and you're all wrong...even if you agree with me.

The DNT angle on this story is geared toward the sensational because that's their agenda. They don't care about this community (any more). The Fargo bosses want to see profits and the few souls left behind actually putting out the paper are desperate to keep their jobs in a tight economy. THAT and some seriously flawed decision making by Karwath. I've read the Trib since I was first able to read back in 1964! It used to be a pretty darn good newspaper for a town this size. I let my subscription lapse after the McCain endorsement and only read it on-line. The comments section also exists to fan the flames- not to actually inform.

I just read the comments section and am disgusted. What kills me is that the usual suspects -- obviously born and bred in Duluth, most probably white, and probably afraid of their own shadows if they think the East Hillside is totally crime-infested -- are all foaming at the mouth as usual over "outsiders" coming to Duluth from elsewhere and committing all sorts of crimes in this previously "pristine" city. Puh-lease. This is a horrific crime, it could have happened anywhere where you have people with too much testosterone saying stupid things back and forth until someone ends up hurt or dead. I'm all for free speech and against censorship (for instance, I know what's-his-fat-face mocks me on his podcast, fine, it's a free country -- just don't come near me). But I am getting sick of the DNT flaming the flames by posting these incendiary comments from obviously disturbed individuals advocating violence. If anything happens in that neighborhood because some assholes start taking the law into their own hands per the sentiments voiced in some of these posted comments -- the blood is on the DNT's hands. Not that they care -- as long as they sell newspapers. Tim K is so right, the paper has really  gone down the toilet.

I agree with Paul quite a bit.  I was in Colorado during Columbine.  In that case, the sensationalistic media attitude then was mostly due to lack of a good story.  The video footage was pretty graphic, though there was no exterior motive in that case to demonstrate the footage, like finding the perps, for example (I also experienced the whole Jon Benet Ramsey travesty on TV while there; don't even get me started on how the local police seriously screwed up).

Really, there's no historic precedent that exemplifies good media control, but if people think there is, go ahead and pipe in.  I think maybe the police/sheriff dept/da/etc walk a fine line with this type of thing.

I imagine it's really hard to label a piece of media (news or otherwise) as acceptable to a local demographic.  (No, I don't have experience at all with news work).

IMHO, DNT is looking for new ground, and they are having a hard time finding it yet.  And, this is just good news, maybe?  Generated some conversation here, didn't it.  Wow, that sounded absolutely terrible.

To the OP, let's face it, the local news -- from whatever station (paper's not that bad) -- is positively cheesy. More so in the northland than anywhere else I've lived.  My apologies to those that take offense.

Danny G, it's a blog.  Maybe some people use alternate personalities; Oh my goodness, huitz is some hint of a jungian archetype.  Give it a rest with that one, I would say.  I once thought about writing a program to psychologically evaluate an ip address, and then realized, "What's the point?"

The programming list I frequent have call-ins every once in a while where people say who they "really" are.  But really, the proof is in the pudding.  I'm 35, but your next-door neighbor's kid could be using my "call sign".  I really doubt it, though ;)

Actually, Danny, I've been thinking about Barrett's original question -- the appropriateness of the DNTV video showing the blood and gore of the victim. It's easy for you to be flip -- you obviously haven't lost someone close to you suddenly and unexpectedly and before their time. I once lost someone close to me suddenly, unexpectedly, and violently. Thankfully, the local newspaper didn't do anything with it. If it had sensationalized my loved one's death, believe me, I wouldn't be making jokes comparing seeing my loved one's blood to a paper cut. I think the DNT showed a lot of disrespect for the family and friends of this man. They can tell the story, without making it even more painful for a grieving family and friends. I just believe in treating the dead with respect.

good lord, Danny - go enjoy your fricken birthday....who spends it cooped up in front of a computer just to argue with others?

Great. More "Hey-I'm-Danny-The-Devil's-Advocate" bullshit. That NEVER gets old.

On the second answer, that was "No" as a double negative.  The news should report as much as they can, I guess is whay I was saying.  So, yeah, they should have pictures if appropriate.

Not sure how I missed this, maybe because there was just a still shot from another angle, but the "Northland's Newscenter" has video from the scene comparable to the DNTV footage.  

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/

If you click on the link to the story there is only a still shot, but the video is on the main page ... on my browser there was actually NO narration, just the footage.  Why?  I don't know.

eco eco,

In a way xenophobic is somewhat the nature of journalism.  It sucks, but seems to gravitate that direction.

Paul's observation on the TV newsbroadcasts make me wonder what y'all think of the Northland's NewsCenter's claim to bring you MORE NEWS NOW. I see the same news on all channels, same copy, read by different folks. Also, I believe their "weather" channel is advertised as the channel dedicated to bringing that more news immediately--so why does it just run the weather?

Or is that just a silly question with obvious answers, and perhaps I should instead ask my fellow PDDers: who do you think is providing the BEST coverage of the "Northland"? Why? (And it better be sumpin' other than your hairpiece fetish.) And is what they provide enough? is it relevant? Unbiased?