Feb 21: Press Talk: Former prez liked the press

Lou Brancaccio is the editor of The Columbian, which seems to be a great deal like the position of the Captain of the Titanic with the faint view of ice up ahead and darkness approaching.

In today's episode, Mr. B. again attempts to engage us with the idea that continuing to have a daily newspaper in this community is important somehow. He quotes Jefferson:

"And were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without
newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate to prefer
the latter."

And then infers that this newspaper somehow qualifies as to what Mr. Jefferson was referring to.

I would like to think that Jefferson, who was something of a gifted writer himself, was a little brighter then Mr. B. gives him credit for.

There is something of a difference between "newspaper" and "left-leaning, agenda-forming, frequently-mistaken, truth-is-no-object, newsletter."

Were The Columbian the very definition of a newspaper; free from bias, factually correct, without an agenda that benefits a few approved special interests at the expense of the vast majority, free from attempting to crush opponents and those wise enough to question either their veracity or their vision, I might tend to agree with both Mr. Jefferson and Mr. B's efforts to invoke Jefferson as some sort of excuse for keeping this newspaper around.

But such a definition does not apply here. The Columbian has long since lost it's place as an important aspect of disseminating information, particularly about an out of control government that views political and financial pay offs as far more important then doing their duty.

The Columbian rabidly supported downtown redevelopment at taxpayer expense. Of course, that they directly, materially would benefit from such a redevelopment naturally had absolutely nothing to do with that support... much like that envisioned, but not completed benefit would be paid for with the money of others.

The Columbian rabidly supported the Vancouver city council's efforts to sue the citizenry into silence. The Columbian rabidly supports an absolutely unneeded and unwanted bridge replacement... a replacement that will make the downtown area look oh so much prettier, but will do nothing to address the primary issues confronting us in the transportation realm: reducing congestion and increasing freight mobility.

In the last election, the ONLY candidates The Columbian would endorse for any open seat at any level just happened to be democrats.

Newspapers that treat their communities in this manner; who only put their, in this case, rapidly dwindling impact behind their agenda instead of acting as a voice of the people, in no way qualifies as the vision that Mr. Jefferson had in mind.


Press Talk: Former prez liked the press

Friday, February 20 7:32 p.m.

BY LOU BRANCACCIO,
COLUMBIAN EDITOR

Lou Brancaccio

A couple of hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson gave a sweet shout-out to newspapers.

"The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right," Jefferson wrote.

"And were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter."

Hey, that’s the way he rolled.

And indeed he should. Jefferson, one of our brighter presidents, understood the critical role newspapers play. So important, in fact, that he’d dump all the governmental politicians before he’d see the elimination of newspapers.

I thought it important to pull this quote out of the quiver because — as I’ve said many times — these are very challenging times for newspapers.

The economy has hurt newspapers just like it has hurt most everyone else. Plus a major underpinning of newspapers — classified advertising — is struggling against the craigslists of the world.

I suspect you’ll see us and other newspapers adjusting to these issues in the near future.

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