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State Fair will survive, 7 people didn’t
Dear Mr. Truitt,
I think your comments on the Farm World editorial page regarding the media coverage of the Indiana State Fair tragedy were out of line. (Reference: Can the Indiana State Fair survive fallout from deadly stage tragedy?, page 4, Aug. 24; Hoosier Ag Today by Gary Truitt)

While I realize that the farming community has some deep ties to the state fair – I think your view was radically different than the rest of the public.
I didn’t see the slam on one of the “finest State Fairs” as was stated in Farm World. I saw a coverage of a tragic event.

I didn’t see anyone speculating, but clearly something did happen that shouldn’t have, and it will have to be determined where the flaws were in the process so that this cannot happen again.

Yes, you interview those who were affected, and since everyone has their own video recorder in their pockets with smart phones, it makes it easier for the media to reach out and access this information.

It sounded in your editorial that you would imply that the less said the better. Well there is a balance, and I didn’t see it as one-sided as you implied. The media covered both the good and the bad. They definitely reported Gov. Mitch Daniels expounding on the fact that you saw the good in Hoosiers when they rushed back to help those injured by the tragedy.

The State Fair will survive – unfortunately – seven people didn’t.

John R. Werner
Nashville, Ind.
9/1/2011