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Dear Valley Journal 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 this weeks local issue of the Valley Journal
newspaper they will
print 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 3rd in the class A
State Meet. A true accomplishment that will be wiped away
by a single mistake that The Valley Journal newspaper has made a
conscience 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 Newspaper in
Ronan Montana asking them
to respect Claudia’s heartbreak and choose any other
picture; I could supply no less then 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. Tuff love from your Homegrown
Valley Journal Newspaper, or should I say NO LOVE from your homegrown
Valley Journal 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
place third in Class A Cross Country.
Every other newspaper in Montana who
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.
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