See you in Topeka

This is the cover of the Chicago Tribune's WomanNews section (via Newsdesigner via VisualEditors.com) that caused such a stir this week. And you can see why.

It's been called the last word that offends. And though even "cunt" doesn't make me see red -- what does it take to offend my generation, anyway? -- I could have guessed this would cause a firestorm.

The section editor and the AME for lifestyles approved it, but they never got the OK from higher-ups, it appears. Some people were concerned when the story came up at the 10 a.m., but no one moved to replace the story until 4, when editor Ann Marie Lipinski got wind of it. But by then, the section had been printed and inserted.

So, what do you do? You order employees to help you remove the offending section. In five hours, they almost got them all out. The paper said a "very, very small number might have slipped through." The Wall Street Journal put the number at hundreds of the 500,000 or so printed.

Like I said, I'm not offended by the word. And I'd guess that had it not been for such a provocative headline, this wouldn't have been such a big deal. The story never even uses the word.

Copy editors did raise red flags there, I'd bet. Anyone know?

UPDATE: For a good laugh, read this article on "earlier headlines snatched off the trucks by zealous editors" at Newcity Chicago.

>Chicago Tribune Tries to Stop Publication of Feature Story [Wall Street Journal]
>Four-letter words fly at Tribune's Freedom Center [Chicago Sun-Times]