Publisher’s Perspective: A clearinghouse of ideas
By Josh Warburton
Publishing is hard and can be a thankless job sometimes. Often when I mention to folks that I’m a publisher, they get a look on their face as if they don’t really know what that is or what I do. Partly, I believe it’s because that the term can be used for people who do a number of different things, and also it’s just not very common. How many publishers do you know?
A book publisher, for instance, is the person or entity that would normally be responsible for the creation of the finished volume, whether in print or digital. So that’s to say that he or she is not typically the author, who creates the original content, or even the editor, who works with the author to refine that content to a publishable state.
As a newspaper publisher, the buck stops with me. I’m the person who ultimately decides the direction of the publication, its content scope, and its identity. I’m the one who made the decision over two decades ago that The Independent would be more than just an arts and entertainment publication but to some degree would have a voice of its own and, more importantly, offer up a platform for people to express their own viewpoints.
I mention this because I am often the one who gets the praise, and conversely the criticism, and sometimes rightly so.
I’m also the one who made the determination that we don’t run arrest reports, car accidents, or drug busts. That decision is based on the fact that I disagree that people should be tried in the press. In some countries, it’s actually illegal to publish allegations, even of people who have been arrested. The idea there is that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. What a concept, eh?
Now, that doesn’t mean we never publish pieces that might imply, suggest, or even conclude that there might be actions by individuals that are illegal, nefarious, or otherwise unethical, but those are done in the context of opinion pieces. Those pieces represent the viewpoints of the author and not necessarily those of the publication.
“But wait,” you say, “you just wrote that you are the owner, the buck stops with you, and you’re responsible for said accusations.”
And that’s the part that’s hard. We have to walk a very thin line. I am ultimately responsible for every piece of content that goes up on our websites and in print, and also, I rarely see the content before it publishes. That may surprise some of you, but that’s actually pretty typical at most publications around the world. The editor or editors are tasked with making those individual day-to-day decisions on what content goes up and when and how it’s presented. It is also a very difficult job. Especially when you are the lone editor at a publication.
Some of you may see where I’m going with this.
In January, Jason Gottfried took over as sole editor. That’s editor in chief, managing editor, and line editor rolled into one. This is the first time in about five years that The Independent has operated with a single editor. Before that, and for about 17 years of our history, we had a single editor.
There are many benefits to having all the editorial content curated, edited, and published by a single person. The consistency in formatting, style, voice, content, and such obviously all benefit by everything flowing through a single brain.
It also has its drawbacks and limitations. Jason often writes with generous amounts of wit and spirit, which sometimes gets interpreted as condescension or disrespect. I know through numerous conversations that this is not his intent. It is also not the intent of The Independent. The mission of The Independent is to inspire rigorous debate, start difficult conversations, and discuss controversial ideas. Jason understands this directive, but like anything else, it’s going to be interpreted and manifest itself as he understands it and with his implicit biases. We all have biases. I sure do, and Jason is no different.
I bring all this up because we’ve received a bit of pushback on a few of the pieces Jason has written since he took the helm as editor at the beginning of the year. Some of it is fair, but much of it is just people disagreeing with either his stated opinions or that he has the ability to express them. Some people have even suggested that as the editor Jason represents the voice of The Independent, and I can understand that perspective — but that ignores that every editor The Independent has ever had was as free as Jason is to write his or her own pieces under our banner. For me, silencing any voice is the same as silencing any other voice.
All of that said, I’d like to make it clear that the core purpose of our opinion section content is to stimulate conversations on topics difficult to talk about. Some people just don’t like their ideas challenged, and if you’re one of those people, maybe our opinion section is not for you. Rather than tone down the breadth and width of the topics and concepts we are willing to publish articles about, we are dedicated to offering up a platform as wide as you’ll find anywhere.
With that said, I think it’s important that we speak civilly to each other and attempt to write things in a way that doesn’t degrade others. We can’t control what idea, concept, or topic might offend someone just out of discussing it, but we can do our best to frame ideas in a way that is constructive, thoughtful, and contemplative.
So in closing, to anyone who has been offended or hurt by any piece of content ever published by The Independent, I apologize as that’s absolutely not our intent. Please understand that I am not apologizing for us tackling a subject or writing about a topic some may think is off limits. I don’t agree with that stance. Everything is fair game to discuss as far as I’m concerned. That said, we will continue to strive to present our content in the most honest and heartfelt way we can without pulling the punches or censoring our contributors. We are first and foremost a platform for all — “A clearinghouse of ideas” — a place where your thoughts are welcome regardless of your political, social, or religious persuasion. You make The Independent what it is, both as readers and as possible contributors. Thank you all for being a part of this wonderful amalgam of voices we call The Independent. Please send any opinion pieces or letters to the editor to editor@infowest.com. And happy reading!
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So very well stated! CARRY ON!!!!!