Dog bites man

If something takes place every week, is it still news? The Suburbanite seems to think so. Howard Prosnitz reports week in and week out about protests, vigils, and other gatherings held by Teaneck's very active anti-war movement near the Teaneck Armory. Granted, Teaneck may not have all that much going on in a given week, but the relentless focus on the activities and opinions of one local group risks blurring the line between reporting about them and promoting them.

This week's Suburbanite dishes out the anti-war news in two portions: a cover article about Teaneck Police Department ticketing of motorists for honking to show solidarity with protesters followed by another article inside the paper about a Memorial Day vigil. The first of these actually makes for an interesting story, though it may be overlooked by the many readers whose patience for the constant reports on the protests has been exhausted. Should the Teaneck Police deliberately overlook repeated violations of state statutes at the behest of a citizens group that wants to make as much noise as it can? Or alternatively, are the Teaneck Police selectively enforcing an obscure law to harass lawful protesters who are looking to rally public support?

These interesting issues might get a better hearing if the Suburbanite were a little more selective with its news coverage.