“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” – John Lydgate
For 30 years, Micromedia Publications has been your source for community news and information. We have always believed in giving our readers a high-quality product with fair and balanced coverage. With that being said, I wanted to personally address the elephant and the donkey in the “room.” Yes, pun intended.
The Times newspaper you are holding in your hand or looking at on your electronic device is nonpartisan. You hear that term thrown around quite often from those talking heads on TV – but what does it mean? It means we are non-political. We do not take a stance on any of the issues that we cover. We are not activist journalists. To quote Sargent Joe Friday from Dragnet, “Just the Facts!” We do not endorse candidates for political office. We talk to leaders on all sides of spectrum and make every effort to give both sides equal time. When we make mistakes, we take responsibility and work to do better. We are humans, just like you – the paper is made by real people and not AI. We also appreciate when readers hold us accountable. It is part of being a good American and a member of the community.
Micromedia has always offered space to town officials and leaders on our government page. This is a space where your local, state and federal representatives can reach you – the citizen.
Recently, our company came under fire for offering space to a local leader who some feel should be removed from office. Because of the passion that many of them have on the issue, they are now bashing our company and our newspapers online – calling us a rag, saying we are one-sided, accusing us of printing propaganda, etc.
However, as stated above, we have been offering this service to officials for 30 years and will continue to do so. It is ok to not like what you read and if you are unhappy with how your officials are running your town or your state, then take action. If you see something in the column that boils your blood, send us a Letter to the Editor. If you have an issue with a leader, try to set up a meeting to discuss the concern. Go peacefully protest. Of course, the voting booth is also a great place to make change.
Taking the keyboard warrior route and demanding that we change a three-decade old policy does not accomplish anything. It is also not right to accuse a media company of bias when one does not exist. So if we cover the boat parade for President Trump, don’t say we are right-wingers. If we cover the anti-Trump protest, don’t say we are lefties. We will cover all of these events as they are all newsworthy.
There was a time when both sides could come to the table and discuss the issues. Despite how everything is so polarized these days, I do believe we can get back to the way it used to be – where we can find a middle ground.
Our mission statement is based on the importance of community and that is why we are here – hopefully, for another 30 years and beyond.
Jason Allentoff
Vice President, Micromedia Publications
