Triangle residents turn to the Internet for sex

This may not be a news flash, but it was on the front page of the News & Observer today. Apparently, local residents are turning to craigslist.com and usasexguide.info for prostitution, the N & O reports.

While the story provides some insight into the local online sex scene, I was left wondering why the editors chose to feature this on the front page today. I read the whole article while eating eggs and drinking coffee, and it was definitely a lighter read. But there didn’t seem to be a strong reason to elevate this story to the front page (at least it was below the fold).

Here’s the nut graph (that paragraph us journalists use to give context for why the story is being written) from the story:

Once a hush-hush trade, prostitution thrives openly on sites like craigslist, buoyed by the flood of online information about how to buy sex cheaply — and avoid getting caught.

Economists and sociologists say the Internet provides the information and anonymity to hire prostitutes in secret, fueling the illegal sex business.

There’s also some information about how local police have bolstered Internet patrols, yet local police officials wouldn’t speak to specifics. I’m glad the N&O did the story. It’s cool that the local newspaper is willing to tackle topics that might turn off (or in this case, turn on) some readers. Still, I’m left wondering whether this is really front page worthy.

What do you think?

Also, I found the picture above pretty amusing. It ran on the jump page beside the N&O’s online sex story. The photo ran under a headline that says: “China’s sex revolution is private.” The caption for photo says: “A Chinese couple walks in a district known for its budget motels near a university in Beijing. The motels are often used for sexual trysts.”

But if that were me and my non-existent boyfriend featured in a picture below a headline like that, you better believe I would not be a happy camper. How would you feel if your picture ran under a headline like that?