Krispy Kreme Kontinued   

More annoying than the fawning coverage donut chains like Krispy Kreme get is the way journalists can't seem to call a donut by its name (Free Press, October/November). Donuts have become "light, airy offerings" (Washington Post), "doughy wares" (American Journalism Review), "a sugary ring of fried dough" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Who talks like this anyway?

Can't we just call a donut a donut?

Lionel Beehner
Contributing Editor
SEED Magazine
New York, New York

The article on media hype over Krispy Kreme openings brought to mind my only encounter with the chain as a journalist. About five years ago, while I was news editor of a weekly in the St. Louis suburbs, Krispy Kreme announced plans to open in our area. A talented young reporter wanted to cover the opening with all the enthusiasm he'd shown while camping out at other Krispy Kreme locations as a patron. My first reaction was to say no, and to lecture him on how such things weren't news.

But since he was an excellent reporter I had him do a story on how the Krispy Kreme's opening might affect the family-owned donut shop a few hundred feet away. The piece he turned in was a balanced look at the situation--noting and quoting both shops equally and without any "gushy" statements promoting Krispy Kreme.

Recently I visited that area and found the family-owned shop, Donut Delight, holding its own, as the owner predicted it would. It still--to my taste--produced a much better donut.

Jim Rygelski
St. Louis, Missouri

I have to say I think you missed a big point in why papers--at least smaller ones like ours--decided to cover the openings to the extent that they did. We were one of the papers that did several stories between announcement and opening of Krispy Kreme's Mishawaka, Indiana, location. The reason we did that is because it's something our readers were talking about--a lot. There were many, many people who showed up at the opening. Yes, we had a guy camping out, which we elected not to write about in the weeks (yes, weeks) prior to the opening. But the popularity of the store and the fact that people still wait in long lines to get these doughnuts tells me we made the right decision.

Stephanie Gattman
Editorial page editor
The Truth
Elkhart, Indiana