Critics quickly confuse news and commentary

By George L. Winship, Editor

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Recently and almost exclusively due to the Anderson Fire Protection District's ongoing investigation of Fire Chief Joe Piccinini, the Valley Post's coverage of that investigation has drawn some criticism, both public and private.

However, when I attempt to find out from those same critics what it is they find objectionable, invariably they point to public comments made on the newspaper's Web site www.andersonvalleypost.com or to editorial comments I have written. One or two folks have even mentioned an editorial cartoon.

Readers, please remember our U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to speak and express written opinions freely as well as guaranteeing freedom of the press to cover events both public and private for the general education of an informed electorate. We will celebrate those freedoms along with the birth of our great nation on July 4.

Statements of opinion are clearly labeled in our newspaper and kept separate on the Editorial page from all news coverage. It is the role of a newspaper to make pertinent comment on items of interest as a way to stimulate public discourse and free thought.

News coverage - and most journalists worthy of the title take great care in this matter - is supposed to be fair, accurate and balanced in presenting the facts. Any opinions stated in a news story are limited and properly attributed to a source, eyewitness, expert or someone with knowledge about the subject of that news story.

I firmly believe that if a person looks solely at the news articles published in the Valley Post or on our Web site, that we have held to this high standard.

As one of my favorite newspaper editors, Charles A. Dana, once stated in 1888 during a lecture to the Wisconsin Editorial Association, "News is undoubtedly a great thing in a newspaper. A newspaper without news is no newspaper. The main function of a newspaper is to give the news and tell you what has happened in the world, what events have occurred of all sorts, political, scientific and nonsensical."

Dana went on to say, "The newspaper must be founded upon human nature. It must correspond to the wants of the people. It must furnish that sort of information which the people demand or else it never can be successful."