Most offensive newspaper lede ever? (1 Viewer)

[zftcg]

How in the world did this make it into print? 

He kidnapped her — but she kidnapped his heart.

Jake Patterson, who ruthlessly murdered the parents of Jayme Closs and held the Wisconsin 13-year-old against her will for 88 days, discussed his feelings about Closs in a Friday phone interview with Jennifer Mayerle of Minneapolis’ CBS affiliate WCCO, after Mayerle had sent him a letter.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

He kidnapped her -- but she kidnapped his heart.

Coming up next, on Lifetime.  

 

[[scooter]]

Closs's family should sue the Daily News out of existence.

 

[squistion]

How in the world did this make it into print? 

 

It's The Daily News. Have you seen some of their covers?

 

[[scooter]]

How in the world did this make it into print? 

 

It's The Daily News. Have you seen some of their covers?

This story crosses ethical and moral boundaries (if not legal ones) by ascribing sexual desires to a 13-year-old girl whose status as a newsworthy figure happened through no fault or intent of her own.

To put it another way: people who commit crimes or seek public attention are "fair game" for tabloid journalism. Underage girls -- who did neither of those things -- are not.

 

[zftcg]

This story crosses ethical and moral boundaries (if not legal ones) by ascribing sexual desires to a 13-year-old girl whose status as a newsworthy figure happened through no fault or intent of her own.

To put it another way: people who commit crimes or seek public attention are "fair game" for tabloid journalism. Underage girls -- who did neither of those things -- are not.

Yeah, the entire article was horrific -- allowing a psychopath to revictimize the girl whose life he destroyed. If the reporter had just served as his stenographer, that would still have been really bad. But to include that lede is just the icing on a steaming turd of a cake. Did the reporter think she was being clever? What could have possessed her to write that?