The Rumor Is They’ve Had Enough Gossip

Re “Gossip Would Do L.A. and The Times Good,” Opinion, Jan. 16: Surely this was a tongue-in-cheek piece by Mickey Kaus that went over my head! Though I would love to see more regular pieces in The Times by quirky and original columnists offering differing perspectives (Steve Lopez, Al Martinez, etc.), I think Angelenos, like the rest of the world, are inundated with gossip and crime news, thanks to television network news and such programs as “Entertainment Tonight,” along with such publications as People and Us.

I respect The Times for not succumbing to the sensationalism so prevalent in the media today.

Getting constantly hammered by gossip news (there’s an oxymoron) trivializes instead of enlightens us. Overwhelming us with crime news leaves us with the mistaken impression that violent crime has increased, instead of decreased overall, as reported by the L.A. Police Department over the last 10 years. No wonder many of us are fearful and apathetic!

If The Times sees fit to publish gossip and crime news, I hope they will be given their own sections -- ones that will go straight into my recycling bin each week.

Teri Hannigan

Topanga

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Unlike the “Outside the Tent” column by Kaus about how gossip would improve The Times, I appreciate the fact that The Times does not devote its front page (most of the time) to sensational crime stories or which politician’s marriage is in trouble.

We have television news for that, which goes from Michael Jackson all the time to Scott Peterson all the time to Robert Blake all the time to the latest car chase all the time, etc., except when there is a local fire or weather disaster. We need a news source to cover the serious issues and events.

Even though I don’t always agree with The Times, it is good to have someone telling us about the things that affect our city and its people, the nation and the world.

Jim Mentzer

Los Angeles