Sometimes, readers express disgust at the views expressed on this editorial page because those opinions don’t align with their views or they don’t like to hear things contrary to their opinions or political leanings. We hate the thought of readers turning away altogether – because our core mission is to engage all of you in a spirited and well-informed conversation about the important issues facing our community, nation and world.
In the news pages, we try to do that by providing objective news, information and analysis. On this editorial page, the mission is different. It’s to provide a marketplace of differing ideas, opinions and political views – not only our own, but those of a wide range of readers and community leaders.
Throughout the paper we try to keep the news and opinions apart and clearly labeled.
Sometimes people accuse us of bias in our news coverage. We are biased – in favor of producing objective news. So we are always wary of news outlets that hew toward one side of the political spectrum and marble their opinions into the news content, be it Fox news with Hannity or MSNBC with Rachel Maddow.
Most of our news pages are given over to providing information so readers can form their own opinions about the issues of the day, ranging from whether to vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump to whether to pass a Proposition 2½ override for a new school.
For generations, this paper and its progenitors have also offered a market place of opinions – on the editorial page.
In addition to the editorials presenting the views of The Recorder’s editorial board, we also offer a variety of views from readers in letters or “My Turn” guest columns. At the end of the year, we hope we have passed on a mix of conservative and liberal, Democratic and Republican views, pro-growth and smart growth – a blend that reflects the makeup of the county.
On any given day or week, some on the left or right might get frustrated because the other side’s views seem predominant, or expressed at all. This echo-chamber inclination to feel most comfortable among like-minded folks is something we understand, but feel the need to guard against. We’d like to think that we can still learn from each other, or at the very least understand each other. We are all in this journey together. If you are in the majority, you still owe it to the minority to listen to them and make their lives better. If you are in the minority, listening and fostering dialog can only help further your cause, even if it can be uncomfortable at times. None of us can truly make the world a better place for everyone by shutting out someone who holds an opposing view.
So in the coming year, and we hope for generations to come, The Recorder will do its part to foster that vital dialogue on local, regional, national and international issues on this editorial page. Although it would be easier to express no opinions and upset no one, that’s not our mission. Our mission is to help you make sense of our increasingly complicated and confusing world, and to do that by listening to its complex symphony of ideas.