Capital Gazette Leaves Its Editorial Section Blank Day After Shooting

Willa Frej
Updated

Instead of its regular slate of commentary, The Capital Gazette left its opinion section blank on Friday in a powerful homage to the five staffers killed during a shooting in the newsroom one day before.

“Today, we are speechless,” the page said. “This page is intentionally left blank today to commemorate victims of Thursday’s shootings at our office.” It then listed the names of the five victims: Robert Hiaasen, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters and Rebecca Smith.

Opinion pages across the country paid their respects to the Gazette on Friday as well.

“At this writing we can’t offer the basic answers every crime-scene reporter seeks to deliver — the who, what, why, where and when of a tragedy,” The Chicago Tribune wrote. “We hope to do so soon. In the meantime, we mourn these deaths in the family.”

The Miami Herald listed what it views as different about this shooting compared to past ones. “Hatred for the media, the most responsible of which tell uncomfortable truths, and question authority,” the paper wrote. “But journalists are excoriated as enemies of the people — to use President Trump’s hateful words.” It noted that Hiaasen was the brother of Carl Hiaasen, Miami Herald columnist and best-selling author.

Some papers didn’t mince words, instead expressing the attack on the press in cartoon form:

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Also on HuffPost

Police respond to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, at a building that contains the Capital Gazette newsroom.
Police respond to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, at a building that contains the Capital Gazette newsroom.
Police officers respond to an active shooter inside a building that houses the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland.
Police officers respond to an active shooter inside a building that houses the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland.
Journalist E.B Furgurson, right, takes notes with two other people as police officers respond.
Journalist E.B Furgurson, right, takes notes with two other people as police officers respond.
Police officers talk to a man outside the scene. 
Police officers talk to a man outside the scene. 
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) speaks during a press conference.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) speaks during a press conference.
Police respond to the scene. 
Police respond to the scene. 
Police gather near the Capital Gazette newspaper office.
Police gather near the Capital Gazette newspaper office.
Emergency personnel congregate outside. 
Emergency personnel congregate outside. 

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.