Use the photo or not?
On the front page of today's paper is the picture of Bailey Goodman, one of the recent high school graduates who died, along with four of her friends, in the tragic Fairport car crash. Her picture accompanies a story by reporter Gene Warner that explores the problem of teens who drive on restricted junior licenses.
A well-spoken and thoughtful caller to The News' Reader hotline this morning questioned why that photo had to be used at all.
"It would be best and in good taste not to show the photos of those girls anymore in the paper," the caller said.
"Imagine how traumatizing [it is] to the family to see their deceased daughter's picture on the front page of The Buffalo News."
Most if not all the editors who work on The News' front page are parents, and the trauma of losing a child has been on all our minds since that crash. But, as Warner's story explains, there is a larger issue being discussed after that accident and this week's crash that injured Buffalo Police Officer Carl Andolina (the teen driver involved in that accident also has a junior license): Should the teens have been driving at that time of day on that type of license?
The fact is that neither driver was allowed to drive between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
We understand that Bailey's friends and relatives may find it difficult to see her picture again in the paper, but perhaps they can take comfort in the fact that other parents may now be more vigilant in making sure their teenagers aren't breaking the law.
