Who's opinion are you reading, anyway?

Frontiersman editorial board

One of the most widely-read elements in any newspaper is always the editorial. It is a place where readers can get a sense of important issues in their community and, a sense of where the newspaper stands in regard to those issues.

In a very real sense, the editorial is the voice of the newspaper, and it is the one place the publication can take a less-than-impartial stance on a given subject. For that reason, the editorial is something our entire staff takes very seriously -- and to a great extent, personally.

Last Sunday's editorial took strong positions on some subjects that resonate loudly in the Valley. That editorial did not flow through the normal channels. While the positions stated were certainly valid ones, they did not reflect the position of the Frontiersman. Indeed, Frontiersman has not yet taken a position on those subjects.

We welcome all well-expressed points of view on our Opinion pages, from the community and from our staff. We believe that to continue to function as a viable newspaper we must be the strongest advocates of First Amendment rights -- whether we agree with the writer's opinion or not. In order to serve the community where we live, we must respect the wide spectrum of opinions expressed there, and we must make every effort to give voice to those opinions.

It is also our belief that strong opinions are driven by strong convictions, and we ask opinion writers to demonstrate the strength of those convictions by providing their name for publication, and also a phone number for confirmation. The editorial that ran in last Sunday's newspaper was strong enough to warrant that same treatment.

We differentiate between columns written by staff members and the editorial. That distinction is a bold one. It has to be that way because the editorial contributes greatly to the integrity of the publication, and it is critical Frontiersman maintain a high level of integrity if we are to serve our community to the standards we have established.

Our readers should be confident that when they read a column in Frontiersman, whether it is submitted by a reader or written by a member of our staff, it represents the opinion of the writer. When you read the editorial, you are reading the opinion of this publication.

Questions or comments about opinion pieces in Frontiersman should be directed to Frank Ameduri at (907) 352-2268 or editor@frontiersman.com.