5,000 condoms and a truck

by: Pat Tierney

That's right - condoms and a truck, clearly the makings of any good news story.

When doing research for another class, I ran across a news article that dealt with two things: condoms and a truck in Mexico.

This article dealt with a truck which travels through Mexico giving giving away free condoms to promote safe sex. The truck has given away 1.2 million condoms in its 10 years of existence to nearly 700,000 people.

An article like this, particularly appearing in an Iowa newspaper, is a clearly case of novelty in a news article. Being that it's located in Mexico, there isn't a lot of proximity, and it doesn't really deal with anyone overly famous or well known.

No, this story isn't all laughs. The truck was part of an initiative to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS and promoting safe sex.

However, in times where most headlines read of the current economic crisis, or the largely publicized election, it's refreshing to see something that our "inner immature child" can't help but smile at.

Despite the fact that there isn't a ton of newsworthy value in this story, it definitely caught my eye as a reader.