The Philadelphia Daily News ran a story by Dana DiFilippo and Vinny Vella, about the hit-and-run death of 22-year-old Polina Kadiyska today.
Taking journalism to new depths, it relied on a post on the dead girl’s Facebook page to make the second-graf assertion that in addition to being a ballerina-in-training she had a side job. As “hired eye-candy.”
A ballerina from the Bulgarian city of Sofia, Kadiyska was a third-year student at the Rock School. She also appears to have worked with Jewelz Entertainment, a “nightlife entertainment” company that offers aerial choreography, body painted models and dancers, nightclub dancers and “sexy body” sushi models for parties.
Jewelz owner Julie Abramson posted a picture of herself and Kadiyska on her Facebook page today, commenting: “You were beautiful beyond words and have touched many. Rest in peace Polina.”
I’m sure Kadiyska’s family — in town to have their loved one taken off life support over at the hospital — would really just love to see two moronic reporters belittle a 22-year-old woman, all while their website was sure to run three photos of her. You know, because eye-candy equals page views, right?!?
The writers should be ashamed of themselves, as should the editors who let it slide through. A reference to the Facebook post lower in the story? Acceptable. A tease to it in the nut graf? Nothing short of an offensive hack move.
UPDATE: The Daily News has upped the ante and gone with a RACIER picture. “Hey look, the dead girl looked really good in a bikini!” Disgraceful. Disgusting. No wonder they’re going to be a twice-a-week Inquirer insert before long. I feel filthy for even running it, but it has to be shown to show how morally derelict the paper I grew up reading has become.
