Why a Blog?

I am now writing in this online forum because of a disagreement with the Bugle about editing--not whether the Bugle had an absolute right to edit my copy, but whether, as a volunteer writer, I had should have been granted the privilege to review, before publication, how my words had been edited.

For the year and a half that I covered the council for the Bugle, I never pretended to be providing reportage. I wrote a column--a reported column--in which I was not shy about saying what I thought. Along the way, I have been accused of bias by partisans on both sides of the same issue. More than one councilmember has complained about my coverage. I have tried to be fair, yes, but have never pretended to be impartial. I called them as I saw them. After 25 years in journalism, I believe I understand the concept of fairness.

In the November issue of the Bugle, Loretta Bonner wrote, in a letter to the editor, that my coverage of town setback issues was "an editorial" and that I had "lost sight" of my duty to "report the news fairly and impartially."

So, here's an offer to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the town, to show you just how fair and impartial I can be: Sit down with me for an interview. I will ask you some questions about the suit and what principles led you down this path. I'll also have some questions you may not like, about the timing of your suit and whether there have been any settlement offers along the way. Let's sit down for a conversation. I will record the whole thing, and will publish a complete transcript. Try me, and see just how fair I can be. If you're interested, just shoot me an E-mail to rafolkers@verizon.net.