I notice this newspaper has started publishing a statement of its core values daily on Page 2. Authored by publisher Walter Hussman Jr., the message hearkens to days when his late father, Walter Hussman Sr., was an equally committed publisher who practiced putting readers first in his statewide chain of newspapers.
I say it's wise, even necessary, nowadays (as the discrediting term "fake news" is being so freely bandied about), for the publisher of every free-market publication to reveal their mission and core values.
Is a newspaper or TV station dedicated to objectivity and fair play, or to promoting a particular candidate and/or political ideology? Is any news media's purpose to protect and promote one group, or deliver facts neutrally for everyone?
Hussman Jr. explained his view of timeless journalistic truths for all to see. Those who pay to digest the final daily products will decide if those who produce the newspaper live up to its goals.
In Hussman Jr.'s case, I know the words he writes are genuine because I've witnessed and lived with them for much of a 46-year career.
I've written in the past that the elder Hussman was publishing the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record and five other Arkansas daily papers when I became the editor of that paper in 1973. His son (who is my age) was based in Hot Springs at the time and was the man who hired me for that job. This meant I was fortunate enough to know both men and understand their philosophy when it came to publishing newspapers.
In that respect, the younger Hussman has preserved his father's legacy, which I suspect is why he wanted to share these values daily. I know the Hussmans, while financially shrewd and conservative, also have a history of devotion to seeking and reporting the best attainable versions of truth for any story they publish.
Walter Hussman Jr.'s statement reads in part: "Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively, and without personal opinion or bias. Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility."
These worthwhile values admittedly can be more difficult than ever to achieve and sustain in the world of a 24/7 news cycle and an active Internet where varying social and political views are offered and amplified.
Part of the challenge lies in choosing, in a nonpartisan manner, which stories are worthy of publication and where in the paper they should be displayed. This includes nationally generated wire-service stories, some of which regrettably reflect a partisan bent.
A wizened public in sharply divided 2017 America is more aware than ever of subtle word choices designed to sway opinions, and when one party gets a pass on accountability while the other is hammered for similar or lesser actions.
If you were to ask which newspapers I consider to offer their news with a distinctively political bent, I'd have no problem rattling off more than a handful. It's these newspapers who needlessly limit subscribers and advertising revenue by choosing to becoming protectors and advocates rather than independent fact-finders engaged in fair play.
Hussman Jr. also makes a vital distinction between expectations in the roles of news and opinion writers: "When a newspaper delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those those providing and consuming the news."
In other words, drop your agendas and fairly deliver readers the facts as you know them. Allow them to determine what they believe is truth.
The timeless core values statement concludes by listing Hussman Sr.'s five newspaper constituencies in this order of importance: readers, advertisers, employees, creditors, and finally, shareholders.
If you're reading today, you're among those with legitimate standing to decide just how well the Hussman message advocating credibility, balance and fairness in the news has endured.
Video while possible
Years ago I suggested to a friend that it would be a wise investment to find a video camera and sit with her parents to discuss their family.
To my surprise, she soon told me she'd made a video that lasted nearly an hour long. Both parents soon passed. By then thankfully she'd preserved everlasting life into her memories by permanently capturing their mannerisms, appearances and voices.
A year or so later, she stopped to say thanks for the suggestion. After watching the video the night before, the distinctive lilt of her mother's voice and the way her father chuckled had come alive again. She said her spirit felt refreshed. Now she had this interview for holidays and her children and theirs.
Today we have our cell phones capable of easily making videos with our loved ones. So my suggestion, valued readers, is to make the effort now to do the same thing she did while you are able to. Just do it now. I promise in years to come you'll also be pleased, as she was, that you took the time.
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.
Editorial on 02/18/2017