The Daily Union Editorial Page:
That said, we can’t help but notice that the Daily Union staffers have been receiving more than their fair share of “thank-yous” of late, and particularly since May 3. That was the day we reported that the Jefferson Common Council decided 5-3 to ignore high circulation figures and drop the Daily Union after nearly two decades as the city’s official newspaper. Apparently a lot of our Jefferson readers now want us to know that they, at least, appreciate our efforts. Their pats on the back have felt nice.
Conversely, the stabs from five aldermen who perceive our coverage of municipal meetings as biased and erroneous have not. They’ve pointed, in particular, to one discussion on Wal-Mart in which proponents claim we slanted our front-page story against a SuperCenter being built in Jefferson. We’ve also misinterpreted quotes recorded on tape, they say.
While it is no secret that the Daily Union thinks Wal-Mart has gotten too big for its britches and doesn’t need another SuperCenter so close to the one in Watertown, we’ve kept that opinion on the editorial page … that same page we’ve opened for all views, both pro and con.
As to being able to read the minds of city officials whose words don’t always coincide with their intended meaning, we can’t. Despite what some might think, we’re not omnipotent.
And regarding editing stories so they’re biased toward our own viewpoints, we don’t. We don’t have the time, the ego or, most importantly, the desire to slant the news in any direction other than down the center.
No, we’re just sitting here doing our job … thanks or no thanks, official city paper or not. And rest assured, Jefferson, we’ll be doing that for many, many years to come.