Good morning Delaware,

From time to time, I get the question of why a business website covers crime and tragedy.

When it comes to white-collar crime,  the answer a no-brainer. Scam artists who prey on others deserve coverage. Law enforcement knows this and passes along mug shots in the event other victims emerge.

The same applies to criminals who engage in robbery sprees at businesses. (There isn’t enough time or resources  to report every holdup).

The issue is more complex when it comes to situations like the horrific crash on Route 1 that claimed five lives and the apparent murder-suicide that took an equal number of lives in the Prices Corner area west of Wilmington.

In the end, this is a small state and stories of this magnitude affect the community and can have public policy implications. One example is the all-too-slow process of installing cabling along Route 1 that has prevented tragedies along other areas of the four lanes.

What that said, I am grateful for our readers and the poise they display in commenting on these stories and others.

In today’s click-driven environment, scanner news items that are sometimes incomplete or inaccurate draw massive amounts of traffic.

Along with this strategy comes ill-informed speculation, criticism, racism and idle gossip. Media outlets egg on their readers by trolling Facebook or Instagram,  looking for photos that tug at the heartstrings, but in some ways amount to an invasion of privacy.

A notable exception is WDEL, which would benefit from added clicks, but instead shows restraint and compassion.

Our readers largely stay away from such excesses. Their comments are often illuminating, thoughtful and compassionate.  

In short, you are the best. –– Doug Rainey, publisher.