Query on fame draws answers that inflame: Controversial comments get student newspaper edition destroyed
When a high school student newspaper in Spokane Valley asked students that if they could be famous, what would they want to be famous for, it stirred up a controversy that led school officials to destroy the edition carrying the responses.
The Spokesman-Review
Titan Talk has been a long-running tradition in the student newspaper, The Mercury, at University High School.
It's a simple concept — reporters ask several people one question and print their responses. The question could be about issues affecting the community or it could be a fun question that gives responders a chance to be humorous.
Many newspapers run this kind of column, including The Spokesman-Review Valley Voice. Readers like it, as they can often find friends and family members in the column. Editors like it, because it gets their reporters out of the office and out talking to readers, and it doesn't take a lot of time to complete.
But it's often one of the most commented-on pieces in the paper. Any reporter at the Voices can tell you that the most seemingly innocent of questions can end up receiving many complaints based on the answers people give.
That was the problem this week at U-Hi. The question was easy enough — "If you could be famous for anything, what would you be famous for?"
Some of the answers were funny. "Creating a mix breed between a giraffe, alligator and monkey." "Fastest land speed on a unicycle." "Making the world's largest pizza." "First person to walk on Pluto."
But school officials and parents didn't think there was anything funny about some other answers. "Dropping a nuke on the Middle East." "Being JFK's assassin." "Leader of the KKK." "Killing the president with a trident."
