Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jun 2001
Source: Northwest Florida Daily News (FL)
Copyright: 2001 Northwest Florida Daily News
Contact:  http://www.nwfdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/313
Author: Peter Perceval

LOCAL ONLY, PLEASE

In his May 27 column, the editor stated correctly: "We aren't a national 
newspaper. We serve an established, loyal market area of three counties, 
and local issues have to be our top priority."

And yet the Opinion and Second Opinion pages of your May 31 issue include 
letters from Fort Pierce; Houston; Eau Claire, Wis.; Fritch, Texas; 
Worcester, Mass; and Fairfield, N.J. On those same pages there were just 
two that originated locally on the critically important subject of drug abuse.

Even though I certainly oppose legalization, I readily agree that the war 
on drugs needs much more debate and a lot of light needs to be shed on 
misstatements by both sides. But is the importation of letters from out of 
state to a local newspaper the proper way to convince a "loyal market area 
of three counties"?

The amount of local support for or opposition to the war on drugs might 
best be judged by, and reflected in, the number and content of letters to 
the editor on this subject that originate locally - not letters from afar.

After all, the editor of the Daily News just recently decreed that "local 
issues have to be our top priority. ... We aren't a national newspaper."

Peter Perceval
Niceville
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MAP posted-by: Beth