Censorship?
To The Editor:
The October 26, 2021, edition of the Record included LGHS’s “Leopard’s Take” newsletter, Vol. 4, Number 1. It included an ad with the heading: “To Future Real News Journalists / Free Press Crucial to Democracy.”
I was excited that the ad recognized the importance of free speech, via a free press, and I heartily agree with the first bullet point: “Holding Politicians Accountable.” (Let’s start with the Legislators who left the state during the legislative session and failed to return for the special sessions.)
The ad continues with: “Supporting News Organizations with Proven Integrity.” Yes, this sounds worthy of support, but I began to wonder what organizations they were referring to. Was it strictly the Mainstream Media? Social Media sites, which heavily censor conservative viewpoints? Or, I hope, the independent news outlets which strive for unbiased reporting.
The next bullet point raised my level of concern. “Censoring Hyper-partisan News Outlets that Peddle Falsehoods.” Wow. Can the writer explain how promoting censorship equates to free speech? Who determines what is false? My suggestion: Just don’t watch or follow those “news” outlets or social media sites which have proven to be fake news and hyper-partisan. For example, CNN’s ratings have tanked because of their overtly biased and fake news “reporting.”
The final bullet point states: “Speaking Against Destructive Attacks on the Press and on the Truth.” Okay. This sounds like a good idea. However, who determines what is true and what is false? I have personally experienced our local print media’s censorship when they refused to publish my Letters to the Editor in their opinions section. The Editor claimed he was unable to confirm the validity of some of my statements. I wasn’t asking him to confirm anything. I was expressing my opinion. However, since it obviously differed from his, my letter was rejected. Another example is the COVID vaccine issue. In addition to publishing multiple letters bashing and shaming the unvaccinated, the Record published a front page article – not as opinions – quoting several local doctors encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and sowing seeds of fear against what I consider proven early-stage treatments, such as Ivermectin. When another reader submitted an article with opposing opinions and links to numerous documents supporting those opinions in detail, the article was rejected.
In closing, I hope that the writers and supporters of the LGHS ad are attempting to promote unbiased, non-partisan media reporting and supporting an individual’s freedom to express their opinions without censorship. If not, this is a sad failure of our school system and lack of parental guidance.
Deborah Frank La Grange
La Grange