The Reporter has been characterized many times over the years as being “mean.” Most recently this claim was floated in an article reporting the new business relationship between the Reporter and Artvoice.
The “mean” discussed here is mean as an adjective as in, “unkind, spiteful or unfair.”
We don’t see ourselves as mean and we think those who label us as mean are being mean. But the Reporter does mean what it writes. And because we mean what we write doesn’t automatically make us mean in our approach to covering elected officials.
Specifically the most recent accusation alleging our foul temperament was presented in reference to our treatment of Mayor Paul Dyster. Mike Hudson, our joke page, this columnist, and a host of other examples were offered as presumptive evidence as to the bile we’ve spilled in Mayor Dyster’s direction.
One has to laugh at such accusations and smile at those who make them. We wonder if these watchdogs of tasteful journalism have taken a peak - in the last decade or two - at the New York Post and its coverage of the president, the governor, the New York City mayor and elected office holders in general.
Do the know-it-alls that point a judgmental finger at the Reporter watch the late night talk shows? If so they’ll see endless irreverent jokes of every kind directed at the president, national leaders and public personalities. Do the names John Stewart or Bill Maher sound familiar? Has their popular scathing political insight made you laugh...or possibly wince?
The Reporter contends that the reason for the Reporter appearing so rude and unkempt when measured against certain other media is because the Reporter has its feet on the ground and its eyes straight ahead, not tilted upward toward a rainbow filled sky.
You can accuse the Reporter of a great deal but you’ll never, credibly, be able to accuse the newspaper of sitting at the feet of elected officials while heaping praise on them as they root through taxpayer pockets, grow their bureaucratic fiefdoms, and empty the common till in the name of alleged good government.
The last time we checked there were still two facts setting this nation apart from all other nations: 1) the First Amendment, and 2) our public officials are elected not crowned.
Those who don’t like the content of the Reporter will have to go elsewhere to find the sort of writing that’s edited with one eye on political correctness and the other eye on advertising revenue.
Hopefully this column hasn’t offended anyone by appearing mean.