Advertising doesn't influence news

There is a very tall and very strong wall between the newsroom (editorial) and advertising. It is sacrosanct. In every sense of the word.

This wall exists at most newspapers. No ad rep who valued his or her life would dare climb over it.

There is a reason for this. It has to do with integrity and journalistic standards. It has to do with trust. It has to do with who controls the news. Truth and credibility are the lifeblood of a reputable newsroom.

This week we were told if we ran a story (about upset parents at an Oxford selectboard meeting) the caller would make sure all businesses in the town would no longer advertise. The caller went on to say that the town would handle its own problems and that they were private.

We were sorry to hear that.

The irony here is that businesses that attempt to control the news hurt only themselves in the long run. Businesses run ads to promote themselves and their products. Readers buy newspapers because they want to know what is happening in their town.

Another irony is that no matter how important or unimportant a story might be (perhaps it was filler and might or might not have fit) as soon as the threat was made, it guaranteed the story would run.

The story is about what happened at a public meeting. The committee and department it refers to is funded with taxpayer money. What happens at those meetings and on those ballfields is public information.

As soon as a newspaper buckles to threats such as this, it loses what is most important – the trust of its readers.