Re "Utah man's farewell resonates with readers far and wide" by Brooke Adams (Tribune, July 18):

Why should anyone care about Val Patterson's life and death? Is the news week so slow that The Tribune had to devote two full columns plus a color photograph of the deceased, in addition to his paid, self-written obituary tribute earlier in the week?

Not everyone thinks petty mischief, lawbreaking and a hell-bent-for-leather lifestyle are cute, amusing or newsworthy. From his own testimony, his epitaph could appropriately read: I got away with it, and I'm still laughing about it.

While the causes and circumstances of his death may be tragic, Patterson is not unique, and he has no credibility as a posthumous anti-smoking advocate.

It tells of weak editorial judgment when a paper as historically critical as The Tribune wastes its resources to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill its news pages with meaningless, cheap, weak and transparent entertainment, rather than information.

No wonder advertisers struggle to keep faith with print, and why regular readers actually give thought to subscription renewal. Surely, The Tribune can do better.

Mark Edwards

Salt Lake City