From a reporter's point of view, this is a very interesting thread:
As a newspaper, our chief aim is to cover items with a public interest and this definitely falls in to that category.
As a local newspaper, we have a strong responsibility to our readers to be...responsible.
If this went to the nationals they would a) do it briefly b) do it sensationally c) probably treat the parents badly too.
They will never have to deal with those people again; whereas these people are our bread and butter contacts.
In short - we would do it better.
And then if our story is deemed 'good' enough, it is covered by the other newspapers anyway.
Yes, as an Observer reporter I am bound to say all this....but I think we will cover this story better than anyone else (especially our friends across town
)