I, too, thought the Prince story was overplayed. I would have promoted it on page one with a photo, and run it on the cover of the Hampton Roads section. Which was the original plan, I'm told. Thankfully, it was below the fold. Some editors have said the story was newsworthy, in part, because Prince in 1997 twice canceled scheduled performances in the area.
Readers routinely question front-page play on some stories.
That's not surprising. Play is a subjective thing. A lot depends on what else you have, local reader interest, as well as the availability of good photos or art. Too, a lot depends on who's deciding. But that's fodder for a future column.