Received an interesting phone call recently with a subscriber upset over one of our reporter’s coverage of a monthly organization that we regularly cover. Seems that she did not like what the speaker had to say and strongly disagreed with the speech.
Her premise was that we shouldn’t have covered her speech because she disagreed with her message. That falls under the category of “Killing the Messenger,” the old Roman custom of killing a messenger who delivered bad news.
In this case it was a political speech that was arranged by the organization program committee. Our reporter had nothing to do with the program planning but attends the meetings regularly to cover whatever the speaker says. We still have free speech in America, although, if a speaker dares speak against a certain topic, it can be branded as racism or worse.
News coverage of events should be told exactly the way the meeting happens and accurately report what the speaker says. If they are misquoted, that is something that should always be corrected. Our policy is that if you don’t want it printed in this newspaper, don’t say it. We have few issues with accuracy, this wasn’t the point of the caller, she just didn’t like the reported speech and felt that we should not have covered the event.
Newspapers exist to write history as it happens. We can’t change speeches to please readers. We are blessed in America to be able to write freely and cover freedom of all speakers. There’s something to remember about freedom of speech, you can say almost anything you want, but you are responsible for what you say.
We see political foes going back decades looking for rival quotes that maybe were acceptable decades ago but are now considered racist poison.
If you read something in this newspaper that you disagree with feel free to call and complain; better yet, write a letter to the editor expressing your own opinion and calling out the featured speaker on their opinions. If their facts are wrong, make a point of setting the record straight. We need to speak up and stand up for America, our freedoms and what we believe.
Speakers and writers will cast their own opinions on various subjects; I do it all the time in this column. Good journalism means writing and printing the statements of speakers as they occur.
Unfortunately, pundits are now attempting to rewrite history as seen today, not through the historians and citizen participants when the events actually occurred. What was acceptable centuries ago may be taboo today. As a nation, we continue to learn from our mistakes. But, we cannot and should not, attempt to rewrite history.
History is a road map into the future and has harsh truths. Every republic has failed in time, and the clock is ticking for us.