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Published on 03/23/1998 All articles from this issue

The power, responsibility of the press

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In producing this week's cover story on the 10 most powerful people in the Los Altos area, we felt compelled to address the question of our undeniable power as a community newspaper.

As a longstanding institution - in its 51st year - the Town Crier produces 16,500 copies every week, and therefore, has been in a position of power for a long time. Every story written or ad produced has the potential to inform or offend, help or hurt.

So how do we keep reader benefits to a maximum and offensiveness to a minimum? We look to practice responsible journalism, but how do we do that?

Much as a baseball team needs to master the fundamentals of fielding to contend, we need to adhere to the fundamentals of professional journalism: accuracy, fairness and balance in reporting, particularly controversial issues. The facts must be correct, but all sides of an issue must be covered for the sake of those involved in the story and the readers. And equal weight must be given to all sides.

Just as we must be thorough in writing a controversial story, we must we wary of writing a glowing story about people, groups or businesses that may have dubious credentials.

Reader interest and responsible coverage should be the determining factors in running anything. Editorial exposure to please special interests should be avoided.

There are questions metropolitan dailies don't necessarily have to answer that community newspapers do - papers such as ours that are locally owned and right on the front line of a community.

Are we building goodwill through our coverage? Are we kind? Are we fair?

We should have, to our minds, valid reasons for everything that sees print. We should be accountable for every word or every omission. Our staff has to be ready to confront readers on the streets, in meetings or with an open door to the publisher's and editor's offices.

These are the elements of responsibility that must come with the power of our local press. To do less is an abuse of that power.

We haven't been perfect. But we know full well that setting high ethical standards for Town Crier coverage is our goal - for the real power of the paper is in the hands of our readers.

A community paper like the Town Crier wields a certain power to convey the viewpoints of the publisher and editors. The Town Crier "empowers" the residents of our communities with clout - letters to the editor, columns, viewpoints expressed in interviews - the paper is "people-power personified."

We salute our 10 most powerful people in Los Altos. They, like us, have a responsibility that comes with the power they have earned - a responsibility to lead the way, as role models and through their actions, so that others may follow to help build a better community.