Editorial Integrity
How important is editorial integrity?
Brace yourselves for a rant, dear readers. The reason I write this blog so assiduously is for three reasons. First, to share thoughts that I hope may be helpful for those good enough to read them. Second, it’s there to help SEO (search engine optimisation, blogs passim) and thirdly to allow us to get things off our chest, and it is for the last category that this piece has been written.
On the basis that our words are of use, a reasonable assumption given the increasing amount of readers to our blog, we thought it may be of further use to try and reach a larger audience using other media. This is altruism; we’re not into self-promotion other than the ways we go to market, and that does not include gratuitous flag waving. Yes, we would want to be acknowledged as the source, but that’s it.
I spoke recently to the local newspaper, and was directed to the business editor who said no, they haven’t a regular marketing piece, and that it may well be a good idea. He then said there would be fee involved, to which I said no, we weren’t looking for one. Oh no, he said, we would have to pay them to publish the column.
Genuinely taken aback, I pointed out that this is advertorial, he agreed; if he didn't pay us, he would have to revisit the arrangements he had with other ‘columnists’. He then went on to point out the glaringly obvious fact that they all have to earn a living. I can’t disagree with that, but what I did disagree with, not as vehemently as perhaps I should have done, was that it shouldn't be at the expense of his readers who may not have been completely aware that his newspaper had moved away from what it should be - a trusted source of valued information - to nothing more than an advertising platform masquerading as something with an opinion.
Referring to the title of this piece, editorial integrity is vitally important; readers are gathered and kept only if they trust the editorial. They will make decisions and develop opinions on the basis of what they read. However, if that editorial is found to be biased, superficial and clearly as a vehicle whose sole purpose is to promote the organisations that have paid to present it, then the readers will leave.
Over the past few years, regional press has been in decline: if the rest of the press has been adopting the same practices than the one I talked to, I can’t say I'm entirely surprised.