Dear Editor:
The article on the NCMO Web page, published on the front page Feb. 10, was sickening. I cannot believe that it was printed right above an article about President Hinckley and his new book, 'Standing for Something.' In an attempt to present a balanced news article on a controversial Web page, The Daily Universe advertised values that are contrary to everything President Hinckley stands for.
The opening sentence and paragraph of any written material has an inherent power. The first half of the NCMO article does make mention of the justifiably concerned University Police, administration and local bishops. But then the author, quoting the site creators, writes, 'in the meantime, plenty of students are having a fine old time.' We have to read about it for 11 more paragraphs before we actually get the other half of this story -- the physical and spiritual dangers of trying to see how close you can get to the line.
This is not balanced journalism. It is journalism Cosmopolitan style, MTV Real World style, devil's advocate style. Are students talking about President Hinckley's new book? No. They are talking about NCMO, and regardless of the position a person may take, there is nothing uplifting about this issue. Remember NCMO-ness never was happiness.
The Daily Universe must make better decisions on how to cover the news. It's bad enough to have all that garbage out there. So please, when you decide to cover the garbage, do not put it on the front page of the student newspaper of this LDS Church-owned and sponsored university. It has certainly generated a lot of discussion, but I am sorry to see it have any part of our daily life at BYU.
Clorinda A. Fontano
Las Vegas
See related story:
Student Web site excites kissing controversy 2/9/2000