Photograph was disrespectful
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Editor,
This morning I realized that although we receive what others feel is the best news in our two local papers, it is not always best for the individual who is making the news. In last week’s Valley Journal they printed a picture of my second daughter Claudia, hands in the air, as she believed she crossed the finish first in state. She was not first; instead she was knocked down from behind as two other runners pass her. It was a freshman mistake, a very hard lesson to learn, and a hard lesson that will no doubt make Claudia a stronger competitor in the future. As a first-year runner she won third in the class A State Meet. A true accomplishment that will be wiped away by a single mistake that the Valley Journal has made a conscious choice to highlight and focus on, with absolute disrespect for Claudia.
Anyone who reads either of the local papers knows Claudia. She is a very strong and compassionate young lady who has had articles written about her in soccer, the Port Polson Players, 4-H, Community Service Activities and now All State Cross Country.
I called the Valley Journal asking them to respect Claudia’s heartbreak and choose any other picture; I could supply no less than 50 photographs myself, and was told that photograph was the best representation of what happened; that Claudia would have to deal with the heartbreak on her own. Tough love from your homegrown newspaper, or should I say no love from your homegrown newspaper. The finish was not the best representation of what happened. The best representation of what happened is a freshman runner who had never run in competition before placed third in Class A Cross Country.
Every other newspaper in Montana that covered the event, including the Missoulian, The Daily Interlake, The Helena Air, and the Lake County Leader could see this and chose to focus on the accomplishment of third place in Class A State Cross Country. It is the Valley Journal’s blatant disregard for Claudia, and her accomplishment that made, after much discussion among themselves to focus on the loss, instead of the accomplishment. This representation is something one would expect from distant corporate-owned newspapers, who don’t know Claudia from the blonde-headed girl down the street. It is not what one would expect from a local paper where most of the staff knows Claudia personally. Perhaps the deliberate discount of the accomplishment from the homegrown newspaper is the best lesson learned. It’s an old story, no matter how great the accomplishments, some will only choose to focus on your mistakes.
Michael Hewston
Polson
(Editor’s note – this letter references a photo included in coverage of the Polson High School Cross Country team’s performance during the state competition that appeared in the Oct. 28 issue of the Valley Journal.)
