Our circulation department sends out emails to recruit subscribers. One recent email began with this headline: “Join us in standing up for real news!”
The email went on to say that our real news includes:
• Credible reporting of local news and events.
• Reliable community news you need to know.
• Stories, opinions, photos and videos.
All of this can be delivered to your doorstep with the Beacon Journal or to your computer on our website, Ohio.com.
Nothing controversial — just a straightforward call to action for those who wish to be informed about what is going on in Akron, Summit County and beyond.
Yet some of the feedback we received was surprising — and disappointing. Here goes:
• “You wouldn’t know ‘real’ news if it smacked you in the face.”
• “Oh Yea … Like your news is all real. Give me a break.”
• “You provide real news alright … all lib-leftist all the time.”
• “Real news? The Associated Press, really?”
• “Your paper is on the Swamp. With the Dem O rats.”
Really?
We journalists report what is going on. That may be different from what you want to hear. It is easy to find things on the internet that support what you want to believe. Separating what actually is happening versus what we want to believe can be difficult.
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com journalists work every day to make sure the stories we tell are accurate and fair. We seek multiple, diverse sources to complete our reporting. After a story is written, multiple editors work to ensure accuracy and clarity.
When we believe a story is particularly important, we devote significant resources to telling that story. Our coverage of Summa Health is an example. We do that because what happens with our largest employer is important.
We are here to tell the good stories and the not-so-good stories of our community.
Wire services that bring you news beyond Summit County use the same process, employing a system of checks to make sure what is published is as accurate.
While we work hard to produce accurate and fair news stories, we also devote space to opinions, which are found on the editorial and commentary pages. The Beacon Journal editorial writers offer their views, politically diverse columnists offer their views and you are invited to offer your own views through our Voice of the People section.
Journalism is not easy work, but it is necessary work because we all need real information to make our decisions. That is what we do at the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com.
Are we fake? Not even close.
Bruce Winges is editor of the Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com. He may be reached at 330-996-3858, bwinges@thebeaconjournal.com or @BruceWingesABJ . Call 330-996-3600 to subscribe to the Beacon Journal.