Is Drinking at a Prom Party Really News-Worthy?

a href=”http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/editor/2007/05/was_prom_party_news.shtml”The editor of the emKnoxville News-Sentinel/em, /aour local news paper, is getting constructive feedback from blog commenters on a ridiculous article that was given prominent coverage entitled, a href=”http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5533464,00.html””When little prom party blew up.” /aThe article was about a prom party that got “out of hand” with (gasp) drinking at a private residence:br /br /blockquoteA West Knox County businessman, whose karate training touts building character in children, and his wife face charges they provided beer and liquor to 20 underage people at their daughter’s after-prom party.br /br /Jack and Katharine Butturini were charged May 6 with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after authorities broke up a party at the couple’s waterfront Loudon County home.br / br /”It was one of the largest parties I’ve ever seen,” said Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy T.J. Scarbrough.br /br /Court records show deputies cited seven people under the age of 18 on charges of underage consumption. The identities of the juveniles scheduled to appear May 22 in Loudon County Juvenile Court are not public record.br /br /Deputies cited 13 others between 18 and the legal age of 21 to Loudon County General Sessions Court. When they appear May 23 in court, they also will be fingerprinted and photographed, Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider said./blockquote br /br /Tam, a gunblogger in Knoxville,a href=”http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2007/05/all-news-thatshuh.html” poked a bit of fun on her blog/a at the editor of the News-Sentinel for running the story:br /br /blockquoteStanding in the checkout line at the grocery store last Saturday, I glanced down at the Knoxville News Sentinel in the rack by the register and was struck dumb. There at the top of the front page, above the fold, in the place usually reserved for things like War Was Declared!, Man Lands On Moon!, or Dewey Defeats Truman!, was something very much along the lines of Drunken Teen Prom Party In Suburbia. As news, this has to rate up there with Sun Rises In East. Yet somehow this shindig, and the criminal charges surrounding it, have been all over the local paper for the better part of the week.br /br /I’m trying to figure out why this deserves so much ink. Maybe the accused suburbanite, Mr. Butturini, beat up the newspaper editor in the third grade or something./blockquotebr /br /I have to agree with Tam who a href=”http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-stuff-further-rumination-on-party.html”goes on to say this about /athis little shindig:br /br /blockquotePart of the thing that made me a bit incredulous at the whole Prom Party Shenanigans Scandal was the fact that there were criminal charges at all. I was unaware that it was against the law to allow a minor to drink at a private residence. Does this mean that if you allow your kid to have a glass of wine with dinner on special occasions, you’re a bona fide criminal? Unreal (and also uncool.)/blockquotebr /br /Very uncool, and BTW Tam, I highly doubt that Jack Butturini beat up the newspaper editor in the third grade. I went to school with Jack and he was as kind-hearted and as honest as they come. I never saw him hurt anyone or say a cross word–my guess is that his version of the story is the correct one and the Sherriff’s office overstepped their bounds with him, at least, in my opinion.