Liberal, conservative or just plain truthful?

...in our quest to keep our audience, are we walking away from the truth? Are we so afraid of being called ‘fake news’ that we become derelict in our duty to inform?”

Robin Blinder, editor-in-chief, Editor & Publisher

We get hate mail. Actually, I would call it “frustration” mail, but some of it borders on hate mail. I’m sure you, our readers, are familiar.

I shouldn’t be surprised that a business publication serving an industry in as much turmoil as ours, covering today’s political hot-button issues at a time when everything is “hot-button,” receives heated responses from our readers. After editing this month’s “Shoptalk” column entitled “America and our democracy are under attack,” the first thought in my mind was about the mail we would receive. So, all of you who think we're too “liberal,” fire up your keyboards ….  

May’s Shoptalk was written by the organizers of the Media and Democracy Project, an “all-volunteer, non-partisan, grassroots organization fighting for a more informative and independent media operating in the public interest.” I dare any astute individual in the news industry to find fault with that mission, but I’m sure you’re out there.

At its core, the column is about the language we use to cover the Trump administration. This is a critical issue for an industry of people whose livelihood is centered on language.

When I receive mail saying that our coverage is too “liberal,” “one-sided” or “biased,” I reflect on the message. However, my conclusion is often, “It’s not liberal; it’s truthful.” It’s hard, but not impossible, to argue with the truth. (And, no, I don’t believe in “alternative facts/truth.”) And therein lies the rub: In the news media industry, have we lost the battle for truth?

In this 281st episode of "E&P Reports," E&P Publisher Mike Blinder moderated a live panel discussion at the America's Newspapers Mega-Conference: Should opinion journalism evolve or disappear?

E&P Publisher Mike Blinder recently hosted a panel at America’s Newspapers’ Mega-Conference entitled, “Silencing Ourselves? The Future of Opinion, Endorsements and Journalism’s Role in Democracy.” It was a panel that included experts on both sides of the argument with policies that spanned the gamut of opinions, editorials and endorsements.

What I found interesting, however, was the argument to forego opinion and endorsements, which was often based on not ruffling feathers. (I paraphrase here.) “There is already so much mistrust in journalism. Why give them more reasons to walk away from us?”

But, in our quest to keep our audience, are we walking away from the truth? Are we so afraid of being called “fake news” that we become derelict in our duty to inform?

I don't have the answer here. I'm just asking the question. I urge you to read this month’s Shoptalk and weigh in. Honestly, I’m ready, but let’s have a productive rather than hateful dialog.

Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for five years. She believes in facts, science, truth and democracy. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com.