If a reader believes in Kelly Ann’s theory of alternative facts or Trump’s “truthful hyperbole,” perhaps a corporation believes those readers might lap up a column that reads like a long Facebook post of misinformation the author copied and added to other dubious sources of wishful thinking and what ifs. Perhaps a corporation thinks this sells papers. I don’t.
Roger Barbee recently corrected national columnist Daniel Gardner of Mississippi for failure to provide factual information to support his opinions. Another letter by Gardner filled with similar lazy writing, “Can fact checking errors threaten rights?” deserves an honest response and a look to the cause of his selection as a recurring featured columnist in the local paper. Recognizing many positive changes in local coverage of the news that I see makes the Post a stronger paper these past several months, I must assume that I need to address my complaint to the corporation that owns our homegrown paper rather than our hard working editor and reporters.
If a reader believes in Kelly Ann’s theory of alternative facts or Trump’s “truthful hyperbole,” perhaps a corporation believes those readers might lap up a column that reads like a long Facebook post of misinformation the author copied and added to other dubious sources of wishful thinking and what ifs. Perhaps a corporation thinks this sells papers. I don’t.
Many friends who canceled the Post in previous years have finally started reading it again because the focus is returning to covering all of our county and presenting fair and accurate coverage of both sides of an issue. A paper can choose to build honest community dialogue as journalists – or not.
We aren’t sheep, we read, and we notice sloppy journalism. Two sides of a story definitely matter and state and national columnists can provide opinions based on factual information and offer readers new viewpoints. I will encourage the corporation that owns the Post (and many other hometown papers) to drop Gardner and support the caliber of work that is happening at our local paper with columnists who display journalistic integrity.
Pam Everhardt Bloom