As of now I am disassociating myself, publically and totally, from the Hollister Free Lance, the local newspaper. This is necessary because it has changed from reporting news and views to a private political vehicle for the owner by the inclusion of a make-believe editorial.
The editorial appearing Oct. 23 on Measure J is not an editorial, but the personal view of the owner, who wrote it, or had it written under his direction. However, he did not sign it – rather, he had it printed as an editorial; to claim that it is the editorial view of the newspaper is a blatant falsehood more attune to the way newspapers functioned in the Soviet Union, than the United States of America.
I attended both the original editorial meeting on the subject as a member of the Editorial Board and a later meeting as a member of the Community Board and neither generated this so-called “editorial.” Both boards operated under the agreement that the views and votes of individuals would be kept private so people would be free to express their feelings without fear of offending others or retaliation and the editorial views would be a majority rule.
I have held to that verbal agreement, but it is obvious that the paper’s owner has not. By falsely claiming that his personal view is the paper’s editorial view he has violated the basic tenet of a newspaper – trust. Under those conditions, I am no longer bound by the need for secrecy. The truth is, the Editorial Board voted overwhelmingly to oppose Measure J in April or May and after the board was reinstituted as a Community Board. No formal vote was taken on the issue, just a comment on campaign tactics.
From the last discussions, I can only estimate positions and I estimate that 60 percent of the board still opposed Measure J. I learned later that the owner was under direct political pressure from the Yes on J campaign to change or negate the board’s earlier editorial opinion. Now he has taken it upon himself to claim that he is the editor, Editorial Board, or Community Board, but he is none of those. He is a person who refused to sign his personal opinion and instead claims it was the work of others, merely to counter an ad campaign.
When you see those new ads referring to an “editorial” and refuting prior editorials or supporting Measure J, be aware that the claim is false. I know because I was there and I resent the owner claiming that this was part of my collective view or the collective view of the board members.
Signed in disgust,
Marty Richman
To read the editorial in question, click here.