Is “freedom of the press” only for those who own one?
How many local letters to the editor does the St. Augustine Record suppress and why?
There's a healthy debate today on the St. Augustine Record website about the number of locally-generated letters and columns the Record has been suppressing lately. What's the answer, please?
Some days, there are no local letters at all. Kindly share your data with your readers, who are bored of Ann Coulter other cognitive misers and bigoted cretins.
Kindly share statistics concerning rejection rates at other newspapers owned by Morris Publishing, and academic/survey data on other newspapers.
Some local newspapers treasure reader opinions and publish oodles of intelligent letters – the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Sun-Gazette comes to mind.
Other newspapers seem almost threatened by local opinion leaders, as when the Record has arrogantly stated it does not need local columnists on national issues (then selectively prints conservative local columnists on national issues).
The Record's recently suppressing readers' letters and columns is pitiful, a sign of the bully, Chain Gang Journalism variety -- one whose weakness known as control freakery about printing dissenting views. Enough.
The Record's errant control freakery reminds me of certain Tinpot Napoleons trying to suppress public comment in government meetings – like in 2005, when William B. Harriss threatened me with arrest for disorderly conduct or in 2007 when Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission of St. Johns County Chair Barbara Bosanko (wife of former County Attorney Dan Bosanko) called the Sheriff on former U.S. Army Captain Don Girvin and I for criticizing her no-bid helicopter purchase. Harriss left office. Bosanko's helicopter scheme imploded.
As St. Augustine Record Editor Peter Ellis editorialized November 19, 2006, "to our public officials, we suggest you get thicker skins."
Enough censorship and intimidation of First Amendment protected activity, please. Let freedom ring!
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