The paper's statement:
Dear reader,
In Saturday’s Herald, an advertisement for guns was placed on a page near stories and a photograph about the tragic school shooting in Connecticut. Please be assured that this was neither intentional nor the fault of the advertiser.
Advertisements are usually placed days before the newspaper lands on your doorstep. In this case, the advertisement in question was placed Thursday morning.
But we at The Herald should have recognized the unfortunate juxtaposition of the advertisement with stories and a photograph about gun violence.
Multiple editors worked on the page and should have noticed the problem. We all made a terrible mistake, and for that I apologize.
Please know that we will continue to strive to bring you a newspaper that is reflective of our community, insightful and sensitive to its readers.
Sincerely,
Paul Osmundson
Editor
I've worked for several newspapers, both as a reporter and in production There really is no defense for this mistake. The managing editor had to see it, and could have changed the paper's layout easily.
Lazy and pathetic.