Which story was more serious and do you think your readers are more interested in? The Maplewood shootings without a doubt. I am sure your reporters worked very hard on the towing story, but the shootings should have come first and the explanation for why the towing story came first is a little lame. I get the feeling the real reason is because it was “exclusive” and the PD wants a big pat on the back for it. It was a good story and definitely of interest to readers, but should not have taken precedence.

There’s nothing else to add. Renee said it all. I agree.

I also agree with Renee, but for a different reason. The story with the most noise always wins. Pistol shots are louder than tow-trucks. Bombs are louder than pistol shots, and airplanes crashing may make more noise than any of the aforemented. That is particularly true if it’s a big passenger jet.

If all that happened the same day, they should have gotten prominence by the amount of noise each made.

Glad I could help. (Big Smile)

When I saw the front page I interpreted it as elitist PD editors being insensitive to working class firefighters, police officers, etc.

I may have the sequence of events a little wrong, but how fresh were both stories? Time flies a bit and I couldn’t remember if the Maplewood shooting happened on Monday or Tuesday. If a story is in its second day it doesn’t need to lead. If the Mokwa item was fresher, if this was the first reporting on the issue then it leads. But if we’re talking about the two stories reported at the same time, lives in danger leads. Mokwas scandal is second to the senseless death of a firefighter. But if yesterdays was day two with new facts, Mokwa goes first.