Got an e-mail this week asking why we didn’t cover a reported suicide in Corona Del Mar this weekend.

First of all, it happened on a Sunday when we’re not staffed so that makes it tough, but we had staff in the office that could have picked up the story on Monday. I would have spiked it, though, if we’d known.

Why? I think suicides are largely a very tragic, private matter. The family and loved ones have suffered enough — they don’t need the bright spotlight of the media publicizing it. That’s pretty much an industry standard.

But there are exceptions. If someone commits suicide in a very public way then we must cover it because people need to know why there was so much commotion. For instance, if someone jumps off a building then that’s got to be covered. I remember once being the city editor for a story about a guy who threatened to leap off a bridge onto the 10 expressway. We covered it because it really fouled up traffic. A week later, believe it or not, we got news of another so-called jumper who threatened suicide at a highway overpass. Guess what? It was the same guy. Sad story, but still newsworthy.

In this case, we were told by the authorities that the man shot himself on his porch. Is that public enough? You could make that argument. I suppose neighbors were wondering why emergency vehicles were called to that house.

But here’s my thinking on that: If one of their neighbors had a heart attack they’d wonder the same thing. And a heart attack, although very important news to the victim’s loved ones, is not newsworthy because it doesn’t affect a large number of people. I think the same could be said in this case. Better to let the family mourn in peace.

If you think we made a mistake, drop me a line. I appreciate any feedback — good, bad or indifferent. I don’t pretend to be anything close to omniscient (although I just ostentatiously used a polysyllabic word like “omniscient.” I’m kidding, people! It’s a joke).

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