By: Forrest R. Church, Publisher
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
As a newspaper publisher, I stand for freedom of speech. That’s not just a slogan—it’s the bedrock of our country. At The Village Reporter, we work hard to give everyone a voice, even when those opinions differ from our own or may have little public support.
It seems that, just by existing as “the media,” we’re often assumed to be left-leaning. I get it—the national media landscape does tend to slope left. When I work with my colleagues at other media organizations, I’m well aware of their biases. Maybe it’s easier for me to notice this since I’m an Independent with problems with both major political parties in this country (did I just make everyone reading my column mad by saying that?). But if you actually knew our politically mixed team, especially our coverage team, you’d see how committed we are to neutrality in our news coverage for both political and non-political topics. I have had interactions with people before where I could tell they did not like me before the first word was spoken, simply because I was part of the “evil media.”
While we (our staff) have personal opinions about hot local topics like politics, fish farms, solar farms, LifeWise Academy, churches housing the homeless, pro/anti school levies, etc., we always work hard to give all opinions a voice—and keep our own opinions to ourselves. And yes, those topics just mentioned have caused endless emails and social media slams from keyboard warriors who would never talk to us face to face in the same manner as they write from behind their smart phones. I’ve literally had back-to-back emails from people with opposite opinions on a matter, both equally accusing me of being biased in our coverage because I dared to give a view they disagree with print space. I’m glad that in a time when the country is divided, I can bring some form of unity—everyone dislikes the media equally.
We constantly examine our coverage to ensure all sides of an issue are accurately reflected, and we work to keep our personal opinions out of reporting. I believe the media should not try to influence your views; it’s pretty simple: present the facts, and you, the reader, can draw your own conclusions. Opinions should be left to opinion columns, such as the one you are reading.
Here’s a comment I bet you haven’t seen a publisher acknowledge before: Sometimes I send materials to the press, paying for the print space, when I am personally screaming inside my head, “what a crock.” Would leadership at other media outlets let coverage they personally disagree with go to press, then pay the bill for it? I’m not asking for a cookie for making this effort, but maybe a couple less accusations would be nice. I’m fully aware that another regional newspaper has been accused of not printing Letters To The Editor they disagree with. We publish all received, as long as they meet the word count limit and do not threaten physical harm.
Recently, a conservative group and several readers accused us of bias on social media in regard to coverage of the local “No Kings” rallies. They claimed we only publish “Democratic” posts and ignore local conservative events. For the record, if we receive a press release or event information from any group—left, right, or center—we publish it. Unless coverage is beyond our area, we generally publish nearly all press releases received. In the case of the recent “No Kings” rallies held nationwide, we published a press release we received from organizers, and we also made a point to highlight the Army’s 250th celebration in Washington D.C., which was not included in the release. I specifically flagged unequal coverage and ensured the conservative side was reflected, despite the fact we never received any press releases or outreach from groups with opposing views for that weekend.
Still, some conservative readers insisted our coverage was one-sided—often without reading the full free article (only reading the title). Maybe the problem is that if there were conservative rallies, nobody communicated it with the media (no press release and/or photos received). I did not see any coverage from other regional outlets either concerning conservatives rallying against the “No Kings” protesters, so I’m assuming no media outlets were aware.
Here’s a secret from within our office: The first question we ask new writers is, “Can you check your opinions at the door and write fact-based articles—even when the facts don’t line up with your personal views?” That’s Journalism 101. We all have biases; the trick is to acknowledge them and then ensure they do not sneak into your coverage.
Over the years, I’ve been accused of bias from both sides of the aisle—sometimes even threatened for it. Ironically, most accusations come from people I agree with on issues. It’s pretty bad when fair and balanced media is attacked mostly by those whose mindset you generally agree with. It’s almost a badge of honor at this point.
It’s not just politicians who take issue. Here’s a sampling from my inbox and social media:
- “Will you post an unbiased article about conservatives in our county? Or do you only post the Democratic posts?”
- Conservative group: “We’re ignored by the press for doing positive events.” — I asked for a phone number to discuss (still waiting) and encouraged the group to submit media releases of their events (still waiting).
- “No Kings” coverage: “Your article may have stated more, but the pictures you chose to use… do I need to even explain?” — It was a press release.
- “How can you post this!! So wrong, this is one-sided! This is what is wrong with America!!” — Do you want state-run media? Do you want to limit Freedom of Speech?
- “Are you serious posting this crap??? This is shameful!”
- “Forrest, I think we’d all have more respect for you if you just admitted that your paper is left-leaning.” — This one actually ticked off numerous staff members who saw it.
- “Do not publish my obituary when I die, you left-leaning rag.” — Mocking our ministry that has published over a million dollars’ worth of free obituaries to grieving families.
- “Cancel my subscription, I cannot believe you would publish a library transgender program for youth” — Mixed into the library’s monthly schedule of events press release.
- Massive attacks from those on the left when President Trump drew massive crowds at both Toledo and Fort Wayne rallies and we provided coverage from press row; many could not believe we would share what was taking place locally and accused us of encouraging the Trump “cult.”
What I find humorous—well, not really—is that I have often reached out to those hiding behind their smartphones, making these comments, to call me (giving my cell phone number) or to submit a Letter to the Editor. I am still waiting for any of them to accept the offer. They are quick to throw out their opinions, sometimes not even reading our articles, but when presented with the opportunity to voice their concerns firsthand, their courageous keyboard warrior mentality disappears.
Here’s the reality: We work hard to ensure every side is given fair coverage, especially viewpoints we might personally disagree with. Readers should not judge and draw opinions of us simply because we are part of the “media”. Would you draw conclusions of others based off the color of their skin? Grow up.
Upholding free speech is a core value for us. That’s why you’ll find one perspective on one page and a different viewpoint on another. I stand by anyone who peacefully voices their opinion, even if I don’t share it personally.
I know what is taking place. Those on the right accuse those on the left of having Trump Derangement Syndrome. I believe there is some truth to that. But what is it called when those on the right attack anyone with an opposing opinion or a news outlet making an all-out effort of truly being “fair and balanced”?
As a publisher, it is never pleasant to be accused of being biased, but I can tell you nearly ALL the biggest problems—whether being attacked by those on the left or the right—have been during Trump’s first or second term. Very little took place during the Biden and Obama administrations. My conclusion is that President Trump brings more emotion from those who support or dislike his policies. Politics is always a burning trash heap, but President Trump seems to bring more fuel for his supporters and equally, those who oppose him.
The real problem? Too many people just read a headline and do not read the full coverage. Someone will see a title with the name Husted, Kaptur, Trump, etc. in it and automatically assume we lean one direction or another, without having a clue what our overall coverage looks like. Will you discontinue watching Fox News or MSNBC if they have a speaker who challenges your mindset or their slanted reporting? Throw the baby out with the bathwater, as the old phrase goes. Some have gone this direction with us.
If you’re looking for one-sided, state-run type media that you have to agree with 100% of the time, we’re probably not the outlet for you. But if you want balanced coverage—including unpopular perspectives—I genuinely believe we do it better than anyone in the area. Frankly, you may love and “amen” one page of news coverage, then flip to the next and see coverage that challenges your opinions and/or biases. That’s what true, unbiased journalism looks like.
We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we make the best effort possible. The brave men and women protecting our country throughout history have sacrificed so much to protect freedom of speech (freedom of the press)—for everyone. I’m not interested in trying to diminish those freedoms.
So, if you’re still mad at me after reading this, just remember: I’m probably getting yelled at by the other side, too. At least I’m in good company.
That is it for this week. I’d love to hear from you. As always, feel free to reach out to me at publisher@thevillagereporter.com or via mail at 115 Broad Street, Montpelier, Ohio 43543.