Let your life speak

Letters, guest columns and a guest editorial (by Janet Laurel) have appeared in the last two issues of the Weekly News. Ashley Sweeney reflects on two years of Women’s Marches and Jon Walton notices the “recent trend of partisan politics oozing into the pages of our beloved weekly paper” in today’s letters. What gets covered and printed in the Weekly News and why?

This paper seeks to cover news in the La Conner region, from Anacortes to Mount Vernon and Conway up to Edison – even Bow if the event or issue is momentous: That is “of great importance or significance, especially in its bearing on the future” as Google’s dictionary puts it. News is not partisan. In the absence of paid staff, this paper depends on readers volunteering items that they are participating in and are interested in. Sister District is a “blue” political group. Their organizing is news when local people are participating.

Tea Party parades and protests are covered when local participants offer to write an article about those events.

Dreamers rally’s and Women’s Marches get covered when 75 or 300 people show up and one of them is a photographer capturing a local moment of an issue trending nationally.

All of these are news: that is events that are factually reported regarding the who, what, where, when, and why. If 10 people or 110 people show up and if a sign says “Make America Great” and the reporter puts that in the article, that informs readers of a current, local event.

Letters of up to 300 words get printed if nothing is false or malicious – malicious meaning a motive to do harm, saying something false purposefully. Do not do this when submitting to the Weekly News.

Guest columns are a sharing of a reader’s point of view up to 450 words in length. This is 50 percent more space to offer a reflection analysis, or opinion of an event close to you, either original or in response to an earlier article, editorial, or letter.

Is the Weekly News partisan? Yes, of course, because newspaper editors are human beings. Better to be honest about having a philosophy and perspective than to feign neutrality and even handedness. Very few people, whether ministers, scientists, school superintendents or teachers are without basis.

This paper’s articles aim to be accurate, complete and fair. That means article try to contain facts from all sides and cover what was seen, heard, written down, in the public record or otherwise documented.

Yes, this paper makes mistakes. This editor excels at making mistakes. But a mistake is an error. It may be wrong. It is not fake. Mistakes made here are corrected when found out.

Anyone finding an article to be “wrong,” please contact the editor and write a letter to the community. Anyone finding an editorial, letter, or guest column to be “wrong,” please respond with your point of view. This paper has a definite point of view. It expects its readers to have their own. It does not expect unanimity. It does expect engagement. Walking away from democratic participation only weakens democracy. The community is all of us. Agreement is not the goal. Ongoing involvement is the ideal. Democracy is a contact sport.

Beg to differ? Write and let your fellow citizens know your point of view and your analysis.