I am writing in response to two letters which appeared in the paper on May 2. A letter by Tracy Reilly-Kelly (“Newspapers benefit communities”) told about a class at Clark College where Will Campbell and Dee Anne Finken explained the importance of local news to the community. We are fortunate to have a locally owned newspaper. It is part of the process of holding those in power accountable. The Campbell family has been an asset to the Clark County community for four generations.
Don Rigby (“Newspapers cause own problems”) appears to not understand the purpose of a newspaper. It is not to repeat the ideas and prejudices of their community. A newspaper should inform the public about what is going on in the community. It should also help the community to hold those in power accountable. Newspapers should expose readers to new ideas and ways of looking at things.
Newspapers should also present the opinions and interpretations of their editors. But they should do this in a way that it is plain that these are opinions. The Columbian does this by publishing editorials and opinion columns. I don’t always agree with the writers. Newspapers also present new ideas through letters from readers. Mr. Rigby is fortunate to have a paper like The Columbian, where he can express his opinions, even though they are different from those of the editors and most of the readers.
