Editorial
In all of my years in print and broadcast journalism, I have always seen the Editor position of *any* news publication or broadcaster as being the 'conscience' of the community... whether or not the community needs a conscience is irrelevant, since that is the duty of any editor of merit.
No Editor worth his/her salt has ever been without opinions, without an agenda and, least of all, without controversy... otherwise, there would be no one to direct reporters to stories (good or bad), no pattern to the news made public (mix obituaries with the comics or local news with the classified ads), nor would there be anyone to stir up the controversies that are "best left unsaid" in a community... if for no other reason than to get people to read or listen, just to see "what the hell that Editor is gonna say next" so that they can either be outraged or enlightened... depending always, of course, on whose ox is currently being gored.
What I'm seeing more and more of, and from the same people as always, is the type of thing you see in the movies, where the reporter goes into the small town to uncover the 'hidden corruption'... only to be threatened by "The Powers That Be" to 'best be movin on, boy' when something is close to being uncovered. I'm not concerned about the usual next step, when there is a threat made on the reporter's life... at least, not yet.
Sound funny? Consider this, then...
Prior to publishing my first issue, at least one RC called for me to be removed as "unsuitable" for Editor. One REC accused me of turning the FidoNews into a 'sewer of feces and lies'...
All without one single page of the FidoNews being published by me.
Numerous messages and letters complain of an "agenda" or a "grudge" that I carry in this post and extend to all of the FidoNews...
...and yet, the only real contribution I make is the Editorial and formatting the articles for publication. The only changes I make to any submission is with the permission of the author or to insure that the submission complies with the ARTSPEC.DOC requirements.
An "editorial" is a comment on a situation... AS THE EDITOR SEES IT.
My beliefs, my views, my knowledge (or lack thereof) of matters is laid bare for all to see... to accept, to challenge or to ignore.
It would seem that this is the objection being made. One such detractor even indicated that I was hypocritical on the issue of 'free speech'... for the reason that I challenged statements made, rather than letting them go unopposed or without comment.
To me, that is precisely the purpose of Free Speech... the ability to question what you may see as at odds to your morality or ethics, let alone to challenge others on their beliefs or to the facts that they use, as well as what others may say one way or the other.
If you are entitled to your beliefs, why am I not entitled to mine?
If you are able to express your beliefs, why may I not express mine?
If you are trying to gain support for your beliefs, why may I not gather support for mine?
It is in the power of each person to choose what they wish to believe, even if it means giving up a lifetime of cultural upbringing... for some it is easy, for others it is very difficult.
But to deny each person that ability to choose for themselves what they believe is to deny them humanity. They may make a 'wrong' choice, they may make an 'unpopular' choice... but they have the right to make that choice for themselves.
And so it is with an editor... if for no other reason than to provide a 'counter' to what is popularly held to 'be true', as well as to challenge those in a position of authority to prove themselves worthy to lead the rest of us.
The tragic part of this is that it is those who least want free and open discussion who bring up these issues of 'bias' or 'agenda' or 'grudge'. This sort of thing is in the 'real world' news all the time, as much as it is here in FidoNet.
To other and more interesting news...
Some changes are in the works for the next issue, one of which is a very major change. Please make sure that your NC has a copy of the ARTSPEC.DOC submission guideline available, as well as the latest issue of the FidoNews. I've requested an accompanying article to help explain it.
As always, the latest issue can be obtained uncensored from
For reference purposes, the rules for the Zone 1 Echomail Coordinator election are in issue 49 of volume 14 of FidoNews (FIDO1449.NWS), and is dated December 8, 1997. The full text is there as part of a larger announcement. You'll want to see this in order to get the same sort of humor one article this week has generated in some circles.
And perhaps I can stop posting such damn long editorials now.
...ah... the miracles of a free press...
-zf-
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