I was hired to work in the newsroom library, a thing which no longer exists. It was 1995, and my boss Shirley and I had the only computer in the newsroom. Shirley was also assistant to the editor. We handled letters to the editor, guest columns and syndicated columns. We did research. Our desk was where the public came with questions. We thus were a buffer for the editor and the newsroom. We got all the angry phone calls.
Later, the newsroom library was eliminated and I became a features copy editor. I did the weddings and engagements, entertainment calendar, Neighbors page, Religion page, paginated the editorial page, vetted letters, processed guest columns, and later, updated the Herald-Times Facebook page and did Twitter and Facebook updates. I filled in on obituaries.
But since the library was eliminated, there was nobody to answer the angry calls, so I still got plenty of those.
And here is what I know.
People who put in wedding notices and wanted to use the form “Mrs. John Smith” couldn’t. Associated Press style said, even back in 1995, that it had to be “Mary Smith.” I once hung up on a customer. She called the publisher, who she knew socially. My boss said, I hear you hung up on so-and-so.” I told him that I had explained Associated Press style 3 times and offered to connect her to the advertising department if she wanted to explore running the notice as a display ad. And that I had then hung up, because I had work to do. He said, “OK, thanks. Sorry she was unpleasant.” Because we both knew I was following the rules, and the rules applied to everybody.
When friends of mine or friends of the editor submitted letters or guest columns that were too long, we didn’t have to discuss what to do. I could say with confidence, “Sure, you can talk to the editor, but he’ll tell you the same thing I’m telling you. Cut it.” Because the rules applied to everybody.
I can tell you for sure that Bloomington High School North sports parents are sure that the paper favors Bloomington High School South. And Bloomington High School South band parents are sure that the paper favors Bloomington High School North.
Political liberals are sure the paper is prejudiced in favor of conservatives. Right-wingers are sure the paper is run by wacky liberals.
People whose letters don’t get published as soon as they hoped are sure somebody didn’t like the opinion in it. And that is never the case.
The truth is, if somebody twisted the rules to fit their opinion or agenda, they would stand a good chance of getting fired.
Reporters and editors deal with people all the time with whom they personally disagree. When I was editor of the religion page, I was as polite to someone who submitted a guest column saying all non-Christians are going to Hell as I would’ve been to my best friend. (I am Jewish.)
There is a place for opinion in a newspaper, and that is the opinion page.
Reporting on what is happening is not connected to whether a reporter or editor likes it.
So when I see people here in Bloomington saying that the newspaper is pro-Nazi because a story on Matthew Heimbach — a neo-Nazi former resident of Bloomington and Paoli — was published, I know that’s baloney. He is real and people deserve to know about him.
When people are angry because an address is published of a woman who got arrested, I know that has nothing to do with anyone’s opinion of her actions. It’s policy that people who get arrested have their address published, across the board. You can argue that you don’t like the policy, but I can tell you, if the editor’s mother got arrested, her address would be published.
In fact, a few years ago, there was a newsroom party for someone’s birthday. Some of the young reporters went out after that, and on her way home, our police reporter got pulled over. And she had had too much. She had to put the details of her own arrest in police beat.
There must be a psychological term for how illegitimate it is when a person says that if someone doesn’t do what they want, they clearly must believe so-and-so. But we do not get to define that for others. Like the person who assumes their letter didn't get published because somebody didn’t like their opinion, but the real reason was that it was too long and they wouldn’t cut it. Or they didn’t provide contact information for verification.
It’s the same when someone calls the paper, as I saw today, “demonstrably pro-Nazi” because they didn’t agree with the anti-Nazi protestor’s address being published. Or they didn’t agree with who was interviewed. Or who wasn’t interviewed. Or they have the idea that newspapers should not write about a person or cause they don’t like. But the news is real.
There is a place for a newspaper to express a position on the news, and that is on the editorial page. Not in news stories, and not in the choice of what should get covered.
Advocacy journalism is not what real newspapers do, even if you wish they would.
