Susan Knopf / Summit Daily News
The former editor of this paper, Ben Trollinger, asked me to
start writing a weekly column, rather persistently, for more than a year. I
think he was looking for an authentic, accurate progressive voice to respond to
vitriolic claims of fake news. Trollinger, like my husband and I, expressed
that he is committed to freedom of the press and vigilant that the press should
respect the public trust.
I think Trollinger got the idea I might be the person for
the job when my husband, Jonathan Knopf, and I wrote our interpretation of the
2016 Colorado election results in “Big
money wins big in Colorado.” We exposed that Coloradans were persuaded
to vote against their best financial and health interests by relentless
expensive ad campaigns funded by corporations that were motivated, not
surprisingly, by their bottom lines. The next month, I wrote the “The
anti-press conference.” After several more columns in 2017 and 2018, we
sealed the deal with “Free
speech taking a backseat at Backstage.”
I had had enough. I decided the commonplace he said, she
said approach to modern news gathering is insufficient for regular people —
people who are not news junkies like me — to figure out what’s true, what’s
important. I call this column “For the Record” so you know you can
rely on the information.
The sources I cite are all legitimate mainstream sources
like U.S. government studies and data sets. When I’m looking for a quote,
something I’ve seen in the news, I turn to the New York Times, The Washington
Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Denver Post, PBS or other networks. I also
like to use YouTube, so you can see the newsmaker speaking. Sometimes I’ll
reference newer online media sources. For local stories, I interview local and
regional sources. The No. 1 concern for me is accuracy.
If your read the column, you will sometimes find citations
from Fox or other conservative outlets, generally considered to be biased. I
use those sources, when they concur with mainstream media. I like to show my
conservative readers that even the conservative media agrees with this
assertion of fact.
I know the New York Times and Washington Post are often
considered left bending by those on the right. Some conservatives I know
consider them inaccurate. When there is any question of fact, I use multiple
sources to confirm my understanding of the facts. There are media rating
services I use to evaluate each source.
The online version of this column has links to sources. When
I submit the column to my editor, Nicole Miller, I list other sources I
consulted but were not cited or linked, thus Miller knows I used good
information from which to draw my opinions. Again, my No. 1 concern is
accuracy.
My conservative counterpart at this paper, cited a source
which is considered biased and ranks only “mostly accurate.”
I don’t used primary sources like that. You deserve better. I respect your
time. I try to pull together sources to give you a definitive comprehension of
the facts. If your reading me, then you know I have a progressive viewpoint,
and I’m going to see those facts through that lens. But I only use the facts,
and I attribute those facts.
There are a handful of readers who like to write me and
dispute the facts. And its easy to understand how that happens. In a recent
column, my conservative counterpart cited Federalist Media, which on Oct. 2 ran an article so chock full propaganda, I’m not sure how the
site garners such a high “mostly accurate” rating.
The wholesale disparagement of media is both insulting and
dangerous. In my research for this column, I found journalism referred to as
the “lamestream
media” by a U.S. government employee. I respect freedom of speech, but
such a statement would have been unthinkable when I was a Washington intern in
a senator’s office. We have wandered that far from what we all consider our
traditional values.
My early life was influenced by a Rotarian. I’m committed to
the Four Way Test:
- Is it the Truth?
- Is is Fair to All Concerned?
- Will it Build Good Will and Better Friendships?
- Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?
When you write to me, I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and opinions. If you dispute my facts, please make sure you have checked the links online and have checked your facts. I really hate to refute my readers.
Susan Knopf’s column “For The Record” publishes Fridays in the Summit Daily News. Knopf has worn many hats in her career, including working as an award-winning journalist and certified ski instructor. She moved to Silverthorne in 2013 after vacationing in Summit County since the 1970s. Contact her at sdnknopf@gmail.com.