Inside The Times - Ep. 23 - Westboro Baptist comes to Gainesville

Gainesville Times

The Westboro Baptist Church is coming to Gainesville.

The Kansas-based group now infamous for its picketing of funerals for soldiers, slain college students and others — arguing that the United States’ embrace of homosexuality has damned its citizens — is planning to picket outside six churches in Gainesville.

Counter-protest groups are making plans to challenge the members of the church as they make the rounds through Gainesville. The police will be on hand to keep the peace.

The question before the Times gang this week is: How should a community newspaper cover such an event, given the tension between giving a scorned group a platform and the need and responsibility to inform the public about what will be at best an offensive display for most and at worst a potentially dangerous situation?This week, Shannon, Nate and Nick talk through how The Times plans to cover the February display.

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