Editorial
From our weekly issue dated April 23, 2008
Each and every week our staff box, which with few exceptions runs on page 2 in the vicinity of Letters to the Editor, contains our standing policy on submitting letters. And periodically we receive visits, notes, letters or phone calls from persons who seem unfamiliar with English, or who chose to not understand what the policy states.
For the record, the editor-in-chief treats letters the same as any submission, whether turned in by a reporter, a correspondent or simply a citizen with something to say. This means that all material is edited -- not censored, not altered to change meanings -- but edited. That is my privilege and responsibility as an editor.
Some feel that I have eliminated the nut of what they wanted to say. That is not true. I edit for libel, clarity, redundancy, grammar, I.V. News style, and sometimes, brevity. It should be obvious by now that we do not necessarily limit the number of words from letter-writers. I work quite hard to ensure that letter-writers have their say, often allowing them to see considerably more in print in this newspaper than any other publication would allow.
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There are those who object to the few deletions that I make. For example, references to Websites that smack of political leanings in the sense of free advertising, or sites that are downright blatant advertising are deleted. One example involved a letter supporting a presidential candidate with a reference to checking the Web for more information. It should be apparent that anyone can do that without being told to do so. And I revise or delete words or phrases that constitute libel. When libel suits are brought, it's the publication that gets sued.
I could continue with what gets excised, but suffice it to say that as publisher and editor-in-chief, it is my right to edit as I see fit. Anyone who wants to see their letter published unedited can pay for the space. We will be pleased to accept such letters as advertising paid in advance.
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One more thought. The handful of complaints we receive are for the most part from persons who have an ax to grind, and sometimes their letters are so convoluted and murky that I’ve come close to not using them at all. But I do. So I take with a grain of salt the comments from those persons who claim that they’ve spoken with or been in contact with a large number of disgruntled letter-writers.
I, as do many, enjoy our letters column, and will continue to utilize it as a public forum, giving away the space for our readers. And I will live up to my title: Editor.
-Bob Rodriguez
