I was shocked and appalled when I opened The Weekend Press to see a whole...[Derived Headline]

Abstract

I was shocked and appalled when I opened The Weekend Press to see a whole page dedicated to a single line of text: ''The smiling assassin.'' I turned the page...

I was shocked and appalled when I opened The Weekend Press to see a whole page dedicated to a single line of text: ''The smiling assassin.''

I turned the page expecting to read sinister revelations about Dr Andy West, vice-chancellor of Lincoln University.

Instead I read a fairly balanced and in no way provocative account of the position Lincoln finds itself in post-quake, of Dr West's vision for Lincoln University as a specialised land-based university and of his commitment to embedding Lincoln within a strong science hub comprising Crown research institutes and the University of Canterbury.

Smiling assassin? Rather a visionary who is willing to do what is necessary to ensure Lincoln's future in this unprecedented uncertain time for the sciences in Canterbury.

Given the nature of this headline I don't think The Press is any position to talk about assassins.

HAZEL CHAPMAN

Cashmere