Editor ‘can handle mean,’ but can’t stand ‘baseless cynicism and unwillingness to think’
By Sharon Burton
I’ve been a journalist for several decades now, and I’m honored to have won my share of awards over the years. When it comes to annual newspaper contests, the ones I’ve been most proud of were awards for writing this column.
I’m proud to say I’ve won first place more than once, and there was a time when that encouraged me to bravely share my thoughts on this page, hoping that readers would take the journey with me as I called out elected officials when I believed it was needed, when I shared words of wisdom I had learned from life’s experiences, or even when I shared a warm story about family.
I often heard from readers who either loved what I have written or really, really didn’t like it, and either way, I knew I had encouraged others to spend at least a moment in thought about something important.
Today, the part of my week I dread the most is sitting down and writing this column. I leave it until I can no longer avoid it, and this page is often the last one to make it to the printers.
Our world has changed – no, we say, the world, but in all honesty, people have changed. Because people have changed, the world has become an ugly place for us to exchange ideas and thoughts. So many people no longer value the voice of others, and it breaks my heart every week when I realize that I no longer feel encouraged to share ideas with hope that we can all learn together.
When I would write something others might disagree with, I enjoyed the calls or visits from them as we talked about our disagreements. I learned from a better journalist than myself to use the opportunity to ask for letters to the editor – to even offer to type them up so that the person who disagrees with me can share his or her opinion on the very same page where I express mine.
Those have always been my favorite conversations, the ones with the people who disagree with me. I didn’t always change my mind, although sometimes I did, but mostly it helped me view the world from a different perspective, and I think we all become better people when we can do that. I don’t have to agree with someone to empathize with a countering viewpoint; I only have to respect that person as another human with ideas, emotions, thoughts and experiences of his or her own.
I wanted to write this week about the past year and my hopes for 2023, but to be honest, I don’t feel like sharing. While newsprint doesn’t give readers the chance to write nasty little comments below the article, the free-flowing river of hate and trolling we are bombarded with daily on social media has cost us more than we realize. It has cost us accountability.
We embrace the free flow of opinion without expecting any forethought or, heaven forbid, some research or thorough reading. In the past, I always knew I better do my homework before writing about a subject on this page. Readers expected me to be informed, and I did not want to disappoint.
We used to be a community where we stood side by side with the very people we considered different from ourselves. Now, we can’t even have a winter storm that people aren’t ridiculing others because they do or don’t believe in global warming, because they think electric vehicles do or don’t make sense, or whatever the latest thing is that most people have done very little research on but hold a very strong opinion about.
It’s not even the lack of being informed that bothers me the most. It’s the attacking attitude toward others with a different opinion that boggles my mind. Why be so mean?
Don’t misunderstand – I can handle mean. I’ve had someone come into my office and rip the newspaper up in front of me (or attempt it; newsprint does not tear easily). I’ve had the paper slung across my desk in anger. I’ve had phone calls where some very nasty words were used, and I’ve had my Christianity questioned more than once. It’s all part of the job.
But I understood that those people were invested in the topic I had written about. An article didn’t sit well with their values; an elected official didn’t get his way; a family member made the news for breaking a law and they wanted me to cover it up. Those tirades I can handle.
It’s the baseless cynicism and unwillingness to THINK that has me discouraged about mankind. It’s the blind support of viewpoints with no interest whatsoever of exchanging thoughts and ideas. It’s the inability to think there is more out there for you to learn.
It takes the fun out of being right, and it certainly takes the fun out of being wrong. In the past, I’ve used this spot to share my thoughts, knowing it could go either way. I knew my readers were looking out for me, letting me know when I said something that made an impression on them and having my back when I missed the mark.
While the awards have been fun, in truth, my favorite response to “One Voice” has always been, “I don’t always agree with you, but I enjoy reading your column.”
When did we stop enjoying the people with whom we disagree?
If I were to pick out my hopes for 2023, it would be that we become a kinder, gentler world, that we see and embrace the imperfections of one another, that we seek knowledge, and we view the world through the lens of grace.
We can only better ourselves when we allow ourselves to be imperfect in front of one another. It’s through that experience that we learn, and we still have a lot to learn.
Mark your calendar! The annual New England Newspaper Convention will be held May 5-6, 2023, at the Westin Waltham Boston Hotel.
Boston University’s 
The 
New Hampshire’s preeminent high school journalism award is inviting submissions for The 2023 Brodsky Prize, established by a former editor of the Manchester Central High School newspaper to encourage out-of-the-box efforts and innovation by a new generation of student journalists. The $5,000 Brodsky Prize is open to all New Hampshire high school students, attending public, charter, or parochial schools.
NEFAC Sunshine Week Editorial Released
NENPA is once again working with the New England First Amendment Coalition (NEFAC) to support this initiative in New England. Below is an editorial in support of Sunshine Week that you may publish in your newspaper, written by NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman.
Please join us in raising our collective voice for transparency and access to public information, and what it means for your readers and community, by either publishing the editorial during Sunshine Week, March 12-18, or by writing your own editorial.
Let us know that you’ll be participating, and we’ll collect all editorials submitted and feature them in our eBulletin at the end of the month.
Yes We Will Participate
Visit https://www.sunshineweek.org/ to download additional resources and for more information.
Contact Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com with any questions.
HONOR SUNSHINE WEEK BY REQUIRING HYBRID ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
By Justin Silverman
During the early months of COVID-19, governors in New England states issued executive orders allowing municipalities to meet online so long as the public could attend remotely. The democratic benefits of this arrangement quickly became evident. According to a public official quoted in a 2020 study, the changes “made it a lot easier for residents who have other things to do, to be heard. People with family obligations, elder care, or child-care issues.”
The executive orders that prompted these changes, however, have long since expired. New England states have resorted to a patchwork of live streams, short-term remote meeting requirements, and in some cases, reverted back to pre-COVID policies and in-person meetings only.
There’s a better way forward.
Permanent changes need to be made to state laws to require both in-person and remote access to government meetings. People with young children, health issues, disabilities, work commitments or other circumstances that prevent in-person attendance at these meetings are at risk of again being shut out of the democratic process. At the same time, there are benefits to in-person meetings that must continue along with this expanded access.
Now is an ideal time to contact your state representatives and make this need known. Sunshine Week is March 12-18 and is a celebration of open government and freedom of information. The sunshine reference is attributed to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis who famously wrote that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” In other words, an informed citizenry is the best check against government corruption. We should use the occasion to demand the permanent changes necessary for all members of the public to effectively engage with the government and stay informed.
The 2020 study — published in the Journal of Civic Information and authored by Jodie Gil and Jonathan L. Wharton — involved nearly 100 municipalities in Connecticut following the state’s COVID-19 emergency orders. It found that the majority of these municipalities experienced the same or increased participation during their public budget deliberations as they had previously. While these towns also experienced learning curves and other unexpected challenges, the authors’ findings reinforce what many of us have come to believe during the last three years: the public is more likely to participate in meetings when given multiple ways to do so.
Massachusetts lawmakers recently recognized this reality with legislation (HD3261/SD2017) that could serve as a model for other states. The bill would apply to all executive branch agencies and municipal bodies subject to the state’s Open Meeting Law. It phases in over seven years a requirement that they meet in person and also provide remote access and participation, but demands swift compliance by state agencies and elected municipal bodies. Non-elected municipal bodies with logistical or budgetary concerns can apply for hardship waivers. The legislation even creates a trust fund that will financially support those needing assistance. The waivers, however, are available only until 2030. There must be universal compliance by that time.
While each state has its own local considerations, there’s no reason why other open meeting laws cannot ultimately require hybrid access. (Don’t know what legislation is introduced in your state? Use the legislation trackers at nefac.org/FOIguide.) Remote meeting technology is becoming more prevalent, less expensive, and greatly needed by citizens unable to attend in person. At the very least, open meeting laws should be changed to incorporate the following:
Hybrid Access | The public needs in-person access to government meetings along with the ability to attend and participate remotely. Both forms of access are critical. While remote meetings will make government accessible to those who cannot otherwise attend, citizens still need face-to-face time with their representatives without their commentary being muted or disconnected from a Zoom line.
Hard Deadline | The ultimate goal is to have all public bodies meeting in a hybrid form. The ease of reaching this goal will vary from one government agency to the next. States should set a clear and hard deadline for all government bodies to comply, taking into consideration challenges such as staffing, funding, and logistics.
Funding | A common argument against hybrid meetings is the cost of the required equipment and technology. While these costs have decreased significantly, they can still impose a burden on small towns with limited funding and staffing. States should earmark funding specifically for the purpose of hybrid meetings and help those municipalities that genuinely need the assistance. Consider it an investment in democracy.
There have been few silver linings to emerge from COVID-19. Remote access to government meetings is one of them. It provides equity and engagement in our democracy that many members of our communities would not otherwise enjoy. We need to change our open meeting laws now to make sure this access is available long after the pandemic has run its course.
Justin Silverman is the executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition. The non-profit non-partisan organization is the region’s leading advocate for First Amendment freedoms and the public’s right to know about government. Learn more at nefac.org.
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