Comments on: Ho, ho, show!

By: Francie

Francie — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:28:24 +0000

I used to live in South Carolina; I used to live in Georgia. I know how religious it is. However, even in South Carolina there are other religions. You have a state-funded university in your town and the state capitol. How many professors at USC come from other places that don’t revere Christ? How many students? Even if you have a church on every corner, it doesn’t mean you have to pander. And that is what you did. You are not a church newsletter, you are a chronicler of the day’s events. Did you REALLY have to send this message? I would argue you did not. So what if your readers were ticked you didn’t have anything religious on the front page. That is what their church is for. You are the fourth estate. Act like it.

By: Mike Higdon

Mike Higdon — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:35:29 +0000

I agree with Francie and Elizabeth. The religious covers would bother me in Nevada; even though people are hugely religious it tends to be more quiet and secluded to certain sectors of the state and cities. That and people keep to themselves. But if the paper knows its readers then it should be done. Also, it was done on Christmas day, not on a day building up to (during the week of Hunnakah which is this week this year) or some other day. The religious fronts reflect the community’s feelings and likely major activity of the day.

I would say there should be equal play with other religions, but Hannukah is a really unimportant Jewish holiday, so it would make sense to do stories about it, but not posterize it.

BTW, you’re a nerd, Charles. :) That’s high praise coming from a fellow Trekker.

By: Elizabeth Smith

Elizabeth Smith — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:33:29 +0000

Glad you had a good Christmas, Charles. One clarification on The State’s illustration, Susan Ardis is a features designer and illustrator for The State, not MCT.

And to Francie, I’m sorry you were insulted by the illustration, but Columbia is one of those towns with a church on every corner and our readership tends to be very conservative and religious. Plus, the holiday is Christmas, a major religious holiday. So why not put a religious illustration or photo (like some of the other papers did) on A1 when 80% or more of your demographics are Christians? We’d be buried in letters to the editor slamming us for NOT putting something religious on the cover. You give your readership what they want.

By: Megs

Megs — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:12:53 +0000

Happy Christmas, Charles! And be sure to read Twilight! They’re great for a laugh.

By: Francie

Francie — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:00:21 +0000

Clarification: It’s the religious fronts (like the State) that really bug me.

By: Francie

Francie — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:58:35 +0000

I really hate to be a Scrooge, but well, not everyone celebrates Christmas. (Like me) I’d REALLY be insulted if my paper did something like this, but that’s just my opinion. I speak for no one but myself.