ALL of the media, YOU INCLUDED, is looking for "sensational" stories and reporting.

It's not all your fault, we consumers must accept our part as well. When all we want to hear and see is the dirt, the bringing down of others and the suffering of others, the media gives us exactly what we want. Look at the "reality" shows on TV, the "rags" such as Enquirer, etc. They are only in business because we ALLOW them to be.

WE cannot object to ONE item of sensationalism if we actively indulge in another. Until we consumers STOP taking others' suffering as "entertainment", we will not see an end to "sensational" reporting.

The media only gives us what we want. No ONE side can be "self-righteous"; it is the public who determines the media, not the other way around.

"We believe we owe it to our readers to report the full truth about the war, even if that means publishing unpleasant photographs such as the one of Lance Cpl. Bernard. Anything less would be a disservice to our fellow Americans."

In that vein, did you show pictures of Matthew Shephard dying on the fence; did you show the dead bodies of murder victims in our own city? Of course you did not.

Your mission? "a newspaper the mission of which is to inform and lead the people of our communities and states".

Your mission as a newspaper is to REPORT; NOT to lead the people. WE, "the people", can make up our own minds based on the facts....THE FACTS, NOT solicitous and tabloidism that has pervaded the media.

"We believe we owe it to our readers to report the full truth..." then

I am reminded of a befuddled little boy who exposed himself to a group of girls in my 1st grade class and then defended his action by saying that the girls had demanded that he do so and therefore he was logically fulfilling a monumental request.

The liberally smug editors who chose to splash the bloody-stumps picture of a dying Marine in our faces, without first telling us the father and Defense Secretary object, see dollar signs in the answers to Mr. Wyatt.

First, dead civilian pictures will be even cooler than a huffer's contorted physiognomy. For a fast start, these papers might improve their lucrative Nascar coverage with the autopsy pictures of Dale Earnhardt.

Second, Isalmic Muslims entertain by decapitating Christians to cheering crowds in Mecca Square. Getting AP photographers in on those great scenes, both foreign and increasingly domestic, will give us superb images of blood-spurting headless necks instead of merely bleeding leg parts.

Blood instead of ink will transfuse newsprint.

I spent 4 years in the Army and I have a special place in my heart for the military. Since Valley Forge, America's BEST men have suffered and frozen and starved and bled and died for us. I can sit on my duff and type, go to the store, drive wherever I want, work, go to the park and generally live in freedom because brave warriors risk their lives for me. I will never forget that and I will always honor the warriors.

This nation should provide free college to anyone who serves in combat. We should pay huge sums to those who are disabled in combat. We should support, through college, the children of those killed in combat. We can finance this just by cutting health care spending on illegal immigrants. C'mon, Congress, grow some balls!

This young man and his family deserve a lot more respect than to have his face plastered all over the news pages. Why not a story about his heroism? Why are newspapers always so quick to focus on the bottom line?

This applies to ALL newspapers, but especially the liberal press/ACLU types: do you think you would have a free press without these brave warriors bleeding for you? Don't you owe them a little more respect?

Let me tell you something. If Muslims took over this country (and they would, without our military to protect us), who would be the first groups to die? Under Sharia Law, feminists, homosexuals, atheists, *****graphers, drug addicts, teachers and left wing media would be killed. Basically, the majority of the Democratic party. You would think that liberals would support the war against these fanatics, if for no other reason than self-preservation.

Please, come back when you've had fewer drinks and post something sensible.

Or get the f over it, tell the editor “that’s one, don’t do it again,” pull it together, and move on. War is hell. But subjugation under the boots of our current communist administration and this ultra-liberal congress will be far worse. Now stop crying, close ranks, and get back to the mission of busting liberal balls.

"We are a conservative, patriotic, serve the readers newspaper only, yet we are going to print this picture against our constant ethics and morals".

Puh-leeze!

As stated in an earlier post, there is no doubt in my mind that if this picture would have been released during the Bush Administration, there is no way that the Wheeling newspapers would have printed them. That comment is coming from a strong conservative that strongly opposes the current administration on just about everything it stands for.

I do not check in at this site often but I was shocked when a friend told me about the disrespect in two "conservative" newspapers today in conservative West Virginia. Where did the patriots in my home state move to?

Patriots moved out and idiots moved in.

Gates followed up with a scathing letter to Curley yesterday afternoon. The letter says Gates cannot imagine the pain Bernard's family is feeling right now, and that Curley's "lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put out this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple newspapers is appalling. The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right -- but judgment and common decency."

Morrell said Gates was disappointed that he could not convince Curley "to do the right thing," but that the secretary is pleased this morning that most news outlets chose not to publish the photo.