Careful newspaper readers perhaps know that it is Arkansas Democrat-Gazette policy not to report in traffic accident stories whether people injured and killed were wearing seat belts. Editor Griffin Smith (CSA, hon.) apparently believes that it amounts to editorializing to note the use of life- and injury-preventing devices in an automobile. It is not editorializing, however, to note when alcohol is a factor, or cell phone use.

The subject arises because New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, (bad link fixed) seriously injured in a car wreck yesterday, apparently was not wearing a seat belt. That fact has been duly noted in wire service accounts that are streaming across the D-G’s web page. Hasn’t somebody told the web editors to install a filter for this kind of stuff?

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PS — ABC News’ report on TV tonight was all about the lack of seat belts and how that affected his injuries. Shameful editorializing.

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