After decades of reporting, I know many of the people whose names appear in our coverage. Remaining impartial when those relationships are involved can be difficult. It is also part of the job.
Knowing someone, doing business with them or respecting their work cannot determine which questions we ask or which facts we report.
Sometimes, people expect otherwise. A personal relationship, an advertising purchase or a position in government can come with an expectation of favorable treatment.
That expectation does not match how The Cullman Tribune operates.
Advertising supports our work. It does not purchase influence over our reporting. Buying an ad does not secure a favorable story, prevent an uncomfortable question or guarantee that an issue will go unreported.
Holding that line can make business difficult. The people who report, take photographs, record video, edit and handle the daily operations of The Tribune, Cullman Today and Tribune Weather Command deserve to be paid for their work. Producing reliable information takes time, money and people willing to do the job carefully.
Those expenses are real. So is our responsibility to the public.
We value the businesses and organizations that advertise with us. Their support helps make our work possible. They deserve professional service and the advertising they purchase. Our readers deserve confidence that the news they receive has been judged on its merits.
An advertisement should be clearly identified as an advertisement. A press release should be evaluated for its news value. Neither should quietly become a way to purchase favorable treatment in our news coverage.
I also believe reliable local news should be accessible regardless of a person’s income. People need to know what their government is doing, how public money is being spent and what is happening in their community. Their ability to stay informed should not depend on their financial standing.
Making that work financially is a challenge. It is one we must meet while protecting the independence that makes the reporting worth doing.
The same standard applies to officials in city, county and state government. Their positions warrant coverage when their actions affect the public. Their titles do not entitle them to control that coverage.
Independence carries obligations for us, too. We must check our facts, provide fair opportunities to respond and correct mistakes. Criticism of our reporting deserves consideration. We cannot demand accountability from others while refusing it ourselves.
Opinion belongs in an editorial such as this one. Our news reporting must be grounded in evidence and fairness.
Much of my life has gone into this work. I take the relationships seriously, but I also take seriously the trust readers place in us each day.
Our reporting will continue as we work to bring readers more information about the community we share.
The distinction should be clear to everyone who deals with us.
You can buy advertising space. You cannot buy our judgment.
