The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
If there are misconceptions about any aspect of our newspaper, itÕs letters to the editor. Granted, most letters that flow our way are deemed suitable for publication. Those that raise legitimate concerns, add meaningful voices to debates, or attempt to hold government Ð be it local, provincial or federal Ð accountable are fine with us. But there are a number of readers under the impression that letters to the editor are a good way to embarrass people with whom they have had some sort of run-in. The example that comes to mind arrived on my desk about three years ago. It was from a man whose truck had been sideswiped in the parking lot of one of the big box stores. The guilty driver had fled the scene, but the victim was convinced he knew who did it. Apparently turned away by the police due to a lack of evidence, he scribbled down a letter in which he sarcastically ÒthankedÓ Ð by name Ð the young man in question for his honesty in coming forward. He ended with a vague threat of physical violence, also veiled in sarcasm. Obviously we couldnÕt print the letter, but this was far from an isolated incident. Other inappropriate letters have accused certain residents Ð again, by name Ð of driving drunk, selling drugs, being unfit parents, and conspiring to keep the price of gas up. Our paper doesnÕt necessarily shy away from controversy, but thereÕs a line to be drawn between controversy and irresponsibility, and itÕs not a very fine one. The biggest change with regard to our letters to the editor came last October when we changed our long-standing policy on letters signed with a pseudonym (usually ÒConcerned CitizenÓ or something of the like). The original intent of the policy was to allow people to have a voice in debates in which their privacy was crucial Ð a business owner with an unpopular opinion who fears losing customers, for instance. When I was growing up I saw many publications that had a similar policy. Today, itÕs no longer the standard. Only one publication that I read, The Taxpayer, still gives ÒConcerned CitizenÓ a voice. Our new policy has meant fewer letters, for sure, but the feedback from most readers has been positive. Letters to the editor add an important flavour to The Reminder. A newspaper exists to inform the public and spark debate. ItÕs a role we take seriously, even when authors of unprintable letters apparently donÕt think we do. Local Angle runs Fridays.
