When Masks Are Essential, Pictures Matter

The huge pictures on the front page of Sports on July 16, two on the front, one on page 3, showing Celtics and their barber without masks, represent a dereliction of the Globe’s duty to support community efforts to suppress Covid 19.

These things matter. Mask wearing is the single best way to suppress the virus and allow our lives and businesses to return to some semblance of normal, and we’re still far from that. Though we’ve entered phase 3, California’s experience shows that we could easily slide backwards in the face of another surge of infections.

The article is a puff piece if there ever was one, and the photos hardly represent essential news, but the Globe waits until the page 3 continuation to offer up this weak explanation: “Because Fernandez [the barber] and the players spend so much time together outside the shop, both parties felt comfortable forgoing masks while in the barber chair—as long as no other customers arrived.” Swell.

Damage done. It shouldn’t be necessary to point out to the Globe editors what pictures are worth. Their message is clear, that masks are for suckers, not real men. Just what we need a day after the excellent story about restaurant workers and other retailers being harassed by entitled boobs refusing to take the responsibility to mask up. We should expect better from them and the Globe.

[Submitted as a letter to the editor to The Boston Globe but not selected for publication.]