Confessions of an opinion page reader
A Time for True Confessions: I read the newspaper regularly, one each morning and two on Sunday. I also receive my news from television news (not propaganda), from the internet (not opinionated talking heads), from a newsmagazine and radio (not talk shows).
All of those options offer coverage of news at a broader level.
However, an interesting feature in community eyes is the “Letters to the Editor.”
I must admit that I first look at the name of the writer to determine if the person is apt to write something different from the “frequent filers” whose stor y never changes.
My curiosity took me back in time to other “Letter to the Editor” possibilities.
Suppose Moses, after he published the two tablets, received these letters to the editor.
“Dear Editor (Moses): After checking out your recent publication, I believe these are rather restrictive. Especially No. 6, I think it won’t work well with the politicians. Think about it. Jumiah.”
And this one: “Dear Editor: Where do you come up with this stuff? Do you know what No. 8 will do to all the fishermen? It’ll call all future big fish stories into question. Frankly, a lot of us were doing just fine without this criticism. Absolomlutely.”
Then millennia later, one of America’s noted newsmen, Benjamin Franklin got his start working for his brother James, who founded the New England Courant, the second newspaper in America (the first was the Boston Newsletter).
Ben’s duties were to type set the letters for printing and to sell the papers doorto-door. However, what he really wanted to do was write (I empathize).
So, one day he had a clever (sneaky) idea. He wrote an anonymous letter under the pseudonym of Silence Dogood. Silence (in Ben’s mind) was a widow of a country minister, “an Enemy to Vice, and a Friend to Virtue” (a tricky combination in today’s world).
James was apparently easily duped and printed 14 Dogood letters from April to October of 1722. These were simpler times with no “vetting” of writers of letters to the editor.
Well, Ben gained printing and newspaper experience through the next seven years and in 1729 he purchased The Pennsylvania Gazette. He improved its appearance with better types, news and articles and his number of subscribers grew exponentially. The distinction that made his paper stand out was the publication of essays and letters from readers (some of which he wrote himself under pseudonyms).
Let’s look at a possibility from an irritated reader: “Dear Editor, What’s with this crap about promoting the turkey for our national bird? I don’t care that eagles eat carrion. Have you ever compared the looks of a turkey to an eagle? Duh. It’s time you got out more. Sincerely, Orin Thologist”
Or a second, “Dear Editor: Don’t you know enough to come in out of the rain? If any children learn of your doings they could be seriously injured. Think more about your readers and less about your wine cellar. Respectfully, Momma Lisa”
That takes us to 2022.
Letters to the editor are common not only for newspapers but now appear in other periodicals such as technical and entertainment journals as well as radio and television networks when they are occasionally read on the air.
The evolution has been interesting. From anonymous or pseudonym-written diatribes most responsible papers, magazines, etc. now check on the validity of the writer — no more Silence Dogood.
The most common topics in today’s letters are:
•Supporting or opposing a stance taken by the paper on its editorial pages or responding to another writer’s letter;
•Commenting on a current issue being considered by a governing body (City Council?);
•Remarking on a news story or article that appeared in a prior edition;
•And correcting a perceived error or misrepresentation.
Letters to the editor most commonly appear on the opinion pages.
Op-ed pieces (Opinioneditor) are typically much longer than letters and address particular issues.
Curiously, many more men than women write to the editor. It’s not than men know more; it’s probably that they think they know more and are willing to share their knowledge (or ignorance).
So, the message is to read your local paper and the letters from residents with a grain of salt (perhaps on the rim of a margarita) but do it with the knowledge of someone who also is informed of the facts.