The truth

Some photos are naturals for page 1A, such as those showing the Boy Scouts on Flag Day, which were published Tuesday. The Norman Rockwell-style photographs taken by LMT Photo Chief Cuate Santos were wonderful. Publishing them on LMT's front page was an easy decision.

Then there are the times when we must make much tougher decisions, those involving photographs of tragic situations, such as fatal wrecks and the victims of violence. A photo of a grieving mother, for example, can tell an incredibly moving story but it tends to be more acceptable when it's a photo of someone who lives halfway across the country. When it's a fellow Laredoan, people become more concerned about privacy.

We consider the effect that publication of a photograph may have on an individual as well as its importance to the community at large. In general, we avoid showing the deceased in a photo but there are exceptions. Today is one of them. In Thursday's paper, you'll see a photograph of officers and soldiers investigating a truck wreck in Nuevo Laredo, taken after the truck crashed during a chase. In the background, there are two bodies on the street. You can't see their faces, and no blood is visible, but they are two of the five men who were inside the truck when it crashed.

Mexican authorities report that the truck's driver refused to stop at a checkpoint, prompting soldiers to chase the vehicle. The chase went through a neighborhood in broad daylight, with soldiers and those in the truck exchanging gunfire, according to official accounts and witnesses. The chase ended when the truck crashed into a house, injuring two people who were at home when the wreck occurred. The five armed men in the truck were killed, as was one soldier. At least four of the civilians appeared to have died of gunshot wounds.

We had a cross-section of people look at the photo, including a member of the general public. We were looking for opinions on whether the photo should be published. Nearly all -- young and old, male and female, parents and singles -- said the photo should be published. "It's reality," was a common response. "It's the truth."

Laredo Morning Times is a purveyor of the truth, in particular as it relates to the violence in Nuevo Laredo. We find that it's neither as bad as critics think nor as good as supporters would have you believe. There are many rumors and a lot of spin to wade through, nearly every day. We sift through it all, seeking to publish only accurate, verified information. Hence the decision to publish the photograph on 1A. As tough as it might be to see the reality of death in the streets of our Sister City, Laredo Morning Times is committed to reporting the unvarnished truth, in writing and in photographs.

What do you think of the photo?

"New" political cartoonist

We've received numerous positive comments on our "new" editorial cartoonist doing local cartoons, including the one last week about our photogenic Mayor Raul Salinas and his frequent media appearances, which also poked a little fun at us since we run many photos of the good mayor.

The cartoonist is Leo Garza, who's not really new to Laredo audiences. In fact, he grew up in Laredo and was a cartoonist for Laredo Morning Times in the 1980s. He drew the very popular "Needles" comic strip for LMT, which introduced Nacho Guarache. Leo's parents still live here and he comes back home regularly. Like most Laredoans, he can't help keeping in touch with what's going on in the Gateway City. There's just no place like Laredo, is there?

A side note on the cartoon about the mayor: At a recent meeting, Mayor Salinas told me - tongue firmly in cheek - that a couple of people greeted him as "Dr. Salinas" after they saw the cartoon. I must say the mayor has a great sense of humor! Not everyone has the same confidence and approachable, down-to-earth attitude. To see the cartoon for yourself, check out the Sunday, May 30, edition of LMT. It's on page 3D. If you don't already get the paper, subscribe today by calling 728-2555 or going online at www.lmtonline.com to subscribe to the eEdition.

The Front Page

Every now and then, someone will ask about the Laredo Morning Times front page. We hear complaints that LMT doesn't focus on "good" news, that we somehow like/don't like a person, agency or thing and that's why we did/didn't publish a story, that we're just interested in selling papers.

Often these comments come from people who don't even read the paper, hence their lack of information. Recently, a local media relations person complained on social media for all the world to see that Laredo Morning Times never prints good news. Obviously, she hadn't read the paper. She made her comments a couple of days after we had put her client on the front page. We didn't put it because it was her, but because the subject was important. Catholic Social Services is a vital part of our community, and it had just had its first recognition dinner, honoring Martin and Odilia Cuellar, a couple who raised a successful group of sons and daughters (yes, I know the correct term is "reared" but most people use the word "raised" -- English is a dynamic language). That was definitely worthy of the front page. Does this woman's comments mean we won't put her clients on the cover again? No. Taking unfair criticism is just part of our job. What we put on the front page is what we believe is the most important news of the day, regardless of who does or doesn't support it.

In deciding what goes on the front page, we look for things that are interesting, things that educate without lecturing, things that tell the reader something he or she might not know. Critics are correct in saying that we want to sell the paper; after all, we are a business that needs to make a profit. We have to sell our product to make money, to pay for employees and production. We have a public responsibility to ensure the public is informed, to protect the public's right to know -- it's a responsibility we take very seriously. But if don't make money, we won't have a product. Simple as that.

So we have to balance selling papers with doing our public duty. For example, stories about crime capture the public interest. Papers with crimes stories on the front page sell considerably more than other editions, not because they're sensational but because they give the public information they want. As I've explained, however, those aren't the only kinds of stories we publish. The story about Catholic Social Services probably didn't boost sales significantly, but it belonged on the front page.

What goes on the front page also depends on what events occur on a particular day. Major breaking news takes priority over pre-planned events. There are times when something makes it to the front page because it's a slow news day. There are also times when something that would normally go on the front page ends up inside because there is so much major news going on that there's simply no room on the cover. That's when teasers -- the photos and words at the top of the page -- take on more importance. They give readers information about what's inside the paper.

As to publishing something controversial, the main requirement we have to meet is accuracy. Facts must be verified before publication and stories need to be balanced, with all sides presented, even if it's a "no comment." I have had the honor of being Editor of Laredo Morning Times for six years Not once in that time have we cancelled a story or refused to print one because it involved an advertiser or a prominent civic leader. That's not ethical. it's not the way we do business.

This is just a brief explanation of how we choose what goes on the front page. Nobody's perfect, and you may not always agree with our choices. But we are committed to our community and we always strive to do our best. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. I can be reached at 728-2581 or at dfuentes@lmtonlne.com