Letters: Jan. 19, 1998

PICTURES FROM THE YEAR EMOTIONS RULED

"It is distressing that violence, beauty and celebrity rank higher than Mother Teresa, who dedicated her entire life to a noble cause." AARTI SWAMINARAYAN Mount Prospect, Ill.

It would be naive to think that the emotions of 1997 were not influenced by the press and photographers [IMAGES '97, Dec. 22]. I fear the amount of influence the media have in shaping the perception of events, a misgiving that was reinforced by your theme, "Pictures from a Year the News Turned Emotional." That fear is, unfortunately, justified when good judgment is not exercised. The close-up photograph of Evander Holyfield's ear not only turned my stomach (again) but also made me ashamed of our culture. Perhaps you should try harder to ensure that the method you use to invoke emotion in your readers is not sensationalistic. SARA PILAR BRYANT Melrose, Mass.

I was disturbed by the cynicism reflected in Roger Rosenblatt's piece "The Year Emotions Ruled," particularly the reasons cited for the overwhelming public reaction to Princess Diana's death. It was not just "one loss and absence too many" or the mourning of a "lovely presence." Diana tried to make a real difference in the world through her numerous causes. She had the ability to affect people's lives in a positive way. DIANE CARDLIN DONOGHUE Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Once again Diana on your cover. Enough! You have earned yourselves a place in your own "Di-Ploitation Watch." LEEOR KRONIK Tel Aviv

The striking two-page photo of Princess Diana deserves Shakespeare's complete quotation, not just a portion of it: "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale/Her infinite variety..." YOLANDA LOPEZ-HEAD Glendale, Calif.

Rosenblatt's article was good, but I hardly believe that in 1997 people were driven by "apocalyptic, fin-de-siecle anxieties about the approaching millennium." It is true that people get touchy when encountering the finale of a century, and even more so at the end of a millennium, but violence, insane mass hysteria, suicides, murders and a highly emotional society are not produced by the end of a period of time; they lie in human nature. JANET M. BOLLERO Rosario, Argentina

I fail to understand the importance you give to Diana. She certainly was a beautiful woman, with an excellent sense of style, but for the press to print stories about her constantly and inflate her image is silly. A.M. RIYAAZ USMAN Kerala, India

LYING ON YOUR RESUME

If not for a peripheral imbroglio, the fact that the late Ambassador M. Larry Lawrence fabricated information about his past would never have been revealed [PUBLIC EYE, Dec. 22]. People can get away with telling stories because the recipients of these tales deceive themselves as much as the liars do. As head of an executive search firm, I find it necessary to warn candidates pointedly in my first meeting with them that I will verify all the claims they make about their credentials. Without this warning, some people would brazenly continue the interview process with little concern for accuracy. STANLEY HERZ Somers, N.Y.