Comments on: Sharing the community’s grief

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:40:46 +0000

I was a student at Sheridan during this time. It is very hard reading this story even today as we approach the 18 year mark for these deaths. I am very thankful to all the faculty, clergy, townspeople, and everyone who prayed for these families and us. I am also thankful for the reporters for not making this a big scandal, and showing it for what it was- a VERY difficult tragedy in a small town. Please continue to remember our small, our families and our youth, as well as all the youth of the nation.

By: Jocelyn the Almighty Toad Warrior

Jocelyn the Almighty Toad Warrior — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:34:21 +0000

I feel that a story such as three teenage suicides in one day needs to be treated with the utmost care and sympathy. I think that it should be up to the families of the ones who killed themselves whether or not the names and other personal information is allowed to be used, but this is the kind of story that makes for a potentially perfect article. It doesn’t need to be the main-attraction and go into great detail about everything. It does need to be covered to some extent though.

By: Celina

Celina — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:10:46 +0000

This is a sad story. But I believe it was brought forth in a proper way. A story like that definitely needs to be published!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:04:08 +0000

When I read this it makes me sad. I don’t understand how people can take their life. I think that when people take their life it isn’t fair to the people that are dying from cancer or some other disease because they actually want to live. This article is really sad. I cant believe people don’t see the signs that people give when they are going to kill their self.

By: Josh Adams

Josh Adams — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:21:10 +0000

i feel like crying. Why? This is the saddest story I have ever read. I can’t see the light. My brain is swirling. MAKE THIS MADNESS STOP.

By: Clarke

Clarke — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:08:45 +0000

I feel like the newscast did the right thing by now making a huge deal out of what happened by playing it down a little. A lot of times the news goes on and on about big stories like this and they aren’t very sensitive to the family of the person. I do agree with putting it on the front page, because if that’s something that was continuing to happen, the town needed to be aware. I like how the news company was actually concerned about the boys though, that’s something you don’t see much.

By: BrittanyR

BrittanyR — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:00:59 +0000

I agree! I think they did the right thing to publish this story.They published it in a respectful and compassionate way.The reporters waited to recieve all the information before they sent it out for everyone to see. It was a good idea to publish this because they told how to get help if your suicidal and they showed how it was a “copycat” effect. They needed to get this out to the media to prevent this from happening again. They took a good approach on that.In the code of ethics it states that the jouranlist should show compassion and thats exactly what they did.

By: Serena

Serena — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:58:01 +0000

I think that they published the story in a very respectful and truthful way. I believe that they did everything right when they wrote the story. They were honest and upfront with the readers but also were very careful when they wrote about what happened. It was a story that need tp be told to educate the community and they had every right to write it.

By: Shelby

Shelby — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:13:34 +0000

I think that the way they (Gazette) posted this story was justified. They kept the respect of Sheridan by not releasing any of the information until all of the research and evidence was gathered. I think it was right to publish the storty nationally because it is one that i believe needs to be heard. IF kids are killing each other, it needs to be reported so there can be education about how this not just affects the depressed kids,but those around them. Its good to also release early symptoms of suicidal teens so parents and other administrative adults can detect it and try to prevent it.I do think that all the suicides were linked because all the boys were friends, and while only one really embarrassed himself, there was no justification for the rest of it unless they all planned out that they would end their lives on the same day.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:10:34 +0000

I think that obviously there was a “copy-cat” effect that the first kid had on the two others to commit suicide. If the first kid had not commited suicide I do not think that the others would have. It might have been because they were sad and not neccesarily “copy-catting.” I think that the reporters went about covering the story in a good way with strong rules on how they were going to approach it. For example the rule of “The story should not be presented in a romanticized or idealized manner.” That shows that they do not want to drag out the story and make it something bigger than it is and make a bigger deal out of it than it should be.