If you review some of the smaller-sized papers found at Newseum you’ll get similar results. Today, the most important story for most U.S. newspapers was the shootings at the mosques in New Zealand.

What about the Wheeling Intelligencer? Readers can find an AP story about worldwide reaction to the shooting halfway down the “Faith” section on page 13. The article provides no details of what happened and there is nothing about the shooter including the white supremacist views that apparently fueled the attack.

What was on the front page of today’s Intelligencer? Probably three-fourths of the front page is taken up by a report on the proposed Wheeling city budget. Included are a large line-by-line itemization graphic and a picture of a firetruck sitting in a fire station. In fairness to the Intelligencer, it does preview (with the page number) its "world reaction to the New Zealand shootings"story in the small space about its nameplate. For me, at least, its importance was diminished by its equal footing with the previewed story next to it:

He’s Not One to Waste Good Beer

Last year, our local papers claimed to be “community newspapers.” My hunch is that would be their excuse/rationale for the New Zealand story’s placement. I’m sorry but I’m appalled – 47 deaths by a white supremacist should not be resigned to the “Faith” section underneath a preview of an Easter musical coming to Wheeling. Given the resurgence of the white supremacist movement, it's something that has (Squirrel Hill last October) and will continue to affect our community.