Search for new and used cars from NH dealers.
web feeds

Mobile

Jul112009

When did we become a right-wing newspaper?

Filed under Uncategorized by nick pappas at 10:32 am

One of the many benefits – and, yes, curses – of being a journalist in a digital age is that you don’t have to wait very long for someone to tell you what they really think about you.

When I first started in this business way back in the Dark Ages, if someone wanted to take issue with something you wrote, they would just wait for the right moment, pick up the phone and cuss you out.

Today, with the immediacy of online comments, you can be reminded minutes after publication just what a dimwit you really are. That’s progress.

All of which leads me to an interesting online comment we received this past week related to our Thursday editorial, “Ayotte gets a rude welcome into politics.”

Based on Attorney General Kelly Ayotte’s announcement that she was stepping down from that post to consider a run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, the editorial sparked a number of online comments – 17 as of Friday afternoon – but one in particular got me thinking about our editorial page and how it is perceived in the community.

While the comment is a little long, I’m going to repeat it in its entirety here to avoid any suspicion of altering the context.

“This editorial and its decided bias is an example of why I just go directly to the ‘most commented’ section to see what’s buzzing from the online community. My husband reads the print version cover to cover and keeps me updated on local news of interest to our family. It’s been part of his morning coffee routine for years. If that weren’t the case, I would have cancelled the subscription long ago.

“The only difference I find between the Telegraph and the Union Leader is that this website is easier to browse. The right wing bias is the same. The online comments on the Leader are by no means majority right leaning anymore. There are lots of former Telegraph readers making comment now. The difference being that the Leader doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not.

“This editorial, the one on parents having a say, and the headline writing on letters just in the past week (let alone the usual practice of headlining neo-con criticisms favoring the positions of the letters) is proof enough for me. Add to that the right wing pieces they subscribe to outnumbering independent or liberal writers. The Telegraph is becoming as fair and balanced as Faux News.”

Now I could take some time to respond to each point directly – the editorials, by definition, are supposed to have a bias, all headlines on letters to the editor should be written to convey the writer’s point of view, etc. – but that’s not the point.

What really struck me is that after 20 years of hearing us referred to from time to time as “that liberal rag,” at least one reader believes our Opinion pages have a – to use her term – “right-wing bias” on par with our celebrated neighbor to the north.

Now as the author of The Telegraph editorial that endorsed Barack Obama for president back in October – you remember, that’s the one I told you resulted in about two-dozen cancellation notices – I’ll admit I find this right-wing observation a bit difficult to take too seriously.

But given perception is always in the eye of the beholder, I’m not going to dismiss it entirely out of hand, either.

What I would like to do is use this as an opportunity to reiterate the philosophy behind The Telegraph’s editorial page, which is simply this: to engage our readers in conversation by presenting a broad range of opinions on the issues facing our community, our state, our nation and our world.

We try to do this through our editorials, which our six-member editorial board makes a conscious effort each week to base on the merits of the particular issue, not ideology. That’s why we can consistently support Gov. John Lynch at election time, but still be critical of him over the patchwork state budget and his positions on expanded gambling and medical marijuana, to name a few.

We try to do this through our selection of syndicated op-ed columnists. That’s why we publish the liberal Froma Harrop every Tuesday and the conservative Cal Thomas every Wednesday, supplemented by a range of liberal (Gene Lyons), moderate (Ann McFeatters) and conservative (Deroy Murdock) writers.

We try to do this through our selection of guest commentaries on Sundays, such as today’s pieces by U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes on the energy bill and Senate Republican Leader Peter Bragdon, of Milford, on the state budget.

We try to do this through our selection of letters to the editor, at least in those cases where we receive letters from both sides of a particular issue.

And we try to do this through our selection of editorial cartoons. While some are selected specifically to illustrate the point of that day’s editorial or syndicated column, others are chosen not so much based on their politics, but timeliness, effectiveness and – perhaps above all – humor.

Now I realize there are some newspapers in the country whose editorial pages as a whole are intended to reflect the political philosophy of the publisher and/or editorial board. As such, the editorials, columns and cartoons all carry a similar message.

Ours isn’t intended to be one of them.

So given that, I am extremely curious this morning whether you share the opinion of our online friend that our Opinion pages are too conservative. Or, while we’re at it, too liberal.

Or do you feel that, on the whole, we are succeeding in offering you a broad range of opinions on the important issues of the day.

This is your opportunity to speak up – and you don’t even have to cuss.

Nick Pappas is editorial page editor at The Telegraph. He can be reached at 594-6505 or
npappas@nashuatelegraph.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at TelegraphEdit.

Viewing 12 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    I must say I agree completely with the comment, the op-eds are often poorly written and - come on... Cal Thomas? And if you have far right op-eds - where are the far left folks?

    I sent in a LTE and attached the headline I would have preferred. The gist of it was talking points and manipulation - not how awful the GOP is. Included was one example, I didn't have room for more. The headline addressing just one political party immediately got people upset - and I'm sure colored the text that followed for them.

    I'm tired of divisiveness based on party, I'd like everyone to always question what they read and to rail against being manipulated - by anyone - for any reason. From images of thin people advertising hamburgers to politicians all being told to use the word "timid".

    Yes, you are the editor of the opinion pages - a tough job since we are after all a very opinionated bunch.
    • ^
    • v
    I have been reading the NT for 44 years. I believe that it has improved immeasurably over time. Actually, if it appears to be a bit too much to the right in one day, another day seems to correct it and veers to the left politically.

    There isn't a newspaper in the world that will please everyone. Since many of us read our papers online now, we have wide choices of what papers to read, to ignore, and, if they are print papers, to use as fish wrappers.
    • ^
    • v
    Nick, I think for the most part your pages are balanced. I only perceive SLIGHT liberal bias. To get my liberal fill, I read the Boston Globe online. I don't take issue with the conservative columns that appear weekly, as I on occasion agree with some of Jeff Jacoby's columns in the Globe, I just think you should try to find better voices. Cal Thomas is dreadful and the horse he beats has been dead for years. Most of the columns just bore me to tears, don't you have access to other writers? ( Reg Henry is sometimes pretty funny though.) How do those writers get their jobs and why doesn't anyone EDIT them, send them back to the drawing board and tell them what a snoozer they just produced? I know their columns are opinion pieces, but why does that exempt them from using facts and truth telling, not fairytale telling?
    • ^
    • v
    IMHO the NT is so left-leaning I am surprised that it has not fallen into the Pacific Ocean by now. One example - the "Hypocricy" cartoon this week. It was about a lying, unfaithful congressman/governor. The caption should have had Pres Obama saying "No family making less than $250K will see any increase in taxes". The gov/congressman's actions effected their family only, this hypocricy on the part of the President effects every American family making under $250K. We will see nothing but higher taxes because Washington is spending us into oblivion and there will be no way to pay for this except for higher taxes. Hypocricy? You bet - only I'm not too worried about the Sanford and the senator's family. I am however, very worried about the "American Family". Be fair, be balanced and your readers will continue to subscribe.
    • ^
    • v
    I've been a subscriber for almost 20 years and read the paper from cover to cover everyday. I find that many times I agree with the editorials and many times I don't so I 'd say they're pretty well balanced.

    My issue is the Sunday Opinion section with the guest commentaries that are predominantly right leaning each and every week. There need to be more guest commentaries with a moderate or left leaning view to balance it out.
    • ^
    • v
    I've been reading the paper for many years and always considered it a little left of center.

    As far as bias goes, I see almost no bias in the local reporting (but what was that crack about global warming doing in the story about the kid that blew up the baking soda and vinegar bomb?). I’m not crazy about the wire pieces…I’m glad there’s less of them than there used to be. I do take issue with the so-called "reader advocate" who is supposed to be the arbiter of bias for the paper but seems to have a tendency to inject his own political commentary into his columns. I stopped reading them.

    I have to agree on what others have said about Cal Thomas. I don’t find his column very insightful. I’d vote for Mark Steyn or George Will given the opportunity. In general, I think the choice of syndicated columns is pretty balanced despite claims to the contrary.

    Funny someone else mentioned the tenor of the Sunday guest commentary. I had been thinking it was a little too left leaning, while Dee thinks it’s too far right. It must be right on…good job!
    • ^
    • v
    John, I would LOVE to have George Will (can read him in WashPost) or Kathleen Parker (WP), or David Brooks (NYT) but I bet they come far, far too expensive for the NT.

    I looked up Cal Thomas and was surprised to find he is considered one of the foremost American conservative columnists. To be honest, I've not really heard of him other than through the NT articles.
    Nevertheless, I still would prefer someone of Wills, Parker, or Brooks class.
    • ^
    • v
    Great article!
    • ^
    • v
    Why not some real lefty columnists?
    Why always the moderate left and the right and far right?

    Can't you get some great locals like Arnie Arnesen?
    • ^
    • v
    Just on July 10'th around 6:00 there was a shooting in broad daylight leaving one man dead and an officer shot in the chest but saved by his vest. The killer is still loose. Also shots were fired around midnight Sunday evening because of gang related fighting in Romy's parking lot. This is happening in Nashua not even three blocks from city hall and there is absolutely no mention of this. Why? Why arent these businesses around here equipped with 24 hour surveillance? Especially if the Police department is aware enough to post cruisers just outside the club/restaurant where these people get drunk at and take it to the streets. Shouldn't places that sell drugs out of them and arrange hookers for people be under investigation? Nashua, the best place to live. Not if there isn't surveillance in these areas and French Hill to catch the culprits that dash off and no chance of their comrades snitching on them. This paper has a duty to report on all the news, not just on what makes Nashua look good.
    • ^
    • v
    news papers are suppose to report objectively the facts of the news.

    Readers should be able to read the paper learn the news of the day
    without the political view point of the writer or the paper filtering the news
    for them.

    I have a college education , can read & write in more than one language
    have had the good fortune to live in several countries and many states
    in our country. I can decide issues for myself I don't want or need
    the Telegraph view point filter to tell me how or what to think

    I canceled my subscription to the Telegraph because I got tired of the
    constant front page special features of transgender and gay people.

    These people represent about 8% of the population of NH

    so what about the rest of us 92% of the people of NH???

    how about some features about how the middle class is being crushed
    by increasing taxes, fee, fines, unfunded mandates???

    What about feature articals about the waste in State government?
    what about the waste in city government?

    why not go through the state & city budget and show the tax payers
    where the waste is being spent??
    how much money could be saved/recovered by closing old programs
    or duplication or overlap in programs|??

    why not feature artical on the number of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
    stealing goods and services from the people of NH.?

    Where are your prize winning economic writers??

    can any one find out where all the jobs are from the obama & congress
    spending ??

    We all know you would be all over this with facts, graphs etc if this
    were a Bush program,, but since its obama you and the rest of the
    liberal press give him a pass.

    so when inflation sets in and we are in a full scale depression
    will the telegraph head line read

    " The first elected black afirmitive action president has failed.

    Obama and congress applied all of the wrong solutions to our economic problems.

    he had a proven blueprint for sucess from Ronald Regan but ignored it then He & congress got us into another war, screwed up america.

    or will you still blame Bush?

    or you can just igore the real world around you and you can still be researching more transgender & gay rights issues??

    please note the middle income tax payer is a special interest group
    you better start paying attention to.

    watch CA.NJ,NY,MD,CT,IL,PA and many other states failing, going
    bankrupt because the city state & federal government have over taxed
    added too many fines fees and crushed the financal life out of the middle class.
    • ^
    • v
    ????
    "he had a proven blueprint for sucess (sic) from Ronald Regan but ignored it then He & congress got us into another war, screwed up america."(sic)?????

    what?

    and what does this have to do with the slant of this newspaper's opinion pages???? or are you just venting?

Trackbacks

close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus