Editorial “Spoilsports” blames the discontinuance of TalkBack on “…too many posters, who couldn’t handle the responsibility of posting anonymously or control their prejudices, …”
It reveals “Talkback was supervised by the marketing department, not the editors.”
It claims “…anonymity allows the cowardly to hide.”
It hypothesizes “If there is [TalkBack] in the future…Require people to use their names.”
It asks “What about those who can’t use their real names for fear of losing ther jobs, etc.?” It answers: “Call or e-mail an editor: We check out these tips all the time. Often they become news stories.”
It maintains “We still print widely divergent views.”
WATCHDOG: The Sunday News blames the readers, when the failure is the Lancaster Newspapers unwillingness to have an employee monitor and edit incoming message.
Does anyone believe ethat the Lancaster newspapers would have gladly investigated complaints about its inviolvement with the Convention Center project, to which it is a partner, and to investigate its own cronyism in reporting on the powerful few?
The Sunday News printed exactly two letters under the title “No More Talkback”. They both praised the cancellation! Growl!
No more free speech in Lancaster. So what if someone said something a little off color? I can not believe we are living in a society that is stopping the free speech of the citizens of this community.