Events in Paris last week, where journalists were targeted and murdered at their Charlie Hebdo headquarters, offer a glimpse of how incredibly lucky we are to practice our craft in a community and country generally free of violent exchanges.
Charlie Hebdo is a News magazine of limited circulation that has published satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that enraged a segment of the Muslim community.
The magazine has equally offended Catholics, Jews and other groups with cartoons that were less than complimentary. The difference was the ferocious reaction to the Mohammed cartoon.
The horrific News was met in our Newsroom with some pretty obvious sympathy.
None of us will probably ever cover stories of international importance or investigate issues of such criminality that our lives or premises would be in danger. However, this does not mean we can’t imagine for a moment the anguish of a team who lost friends and colleagues.
It was an innocent comment in our own office that got us thinking about Charlie Hebdo and how it affects our work here. One of the greatest challenges facing a scribe is keeping perspective and little is worse in this business than a gratuitous me-too.
The comment however, struck at the heart of what every reporter faces every day. It went something like “why do they keep doing it?” In other words, why publish cartoons or articles that could offend someone, in this case Muslims that are very defensive of their religion and beliefs.
Gladly, we don’t have such polarizing issues here to deal with. Apart from the odd hot issue, infamous personality, or in recent months our editorial cartoon, we aren’t handling anything that would incite violence. There are other pressures that come to bear.
There have been times that we have lost business, friendships and made enemies. Luckily, over time, respect for what we are trying to accomplish outweighs hurt feelings or threats to pull advertising.
In more extreme situations our people have faced some foul language and threats of bodily harm, but once the bully thought better of it, nothing came to pass. Any Newspaper that hasn’t had such situations arguably isn’t doing its job because the world isn’t always sunshine and roses.
Sometimes stories must run.
Since corruption will always exist – as will stupidity – it’s our intention to continue pointing out inconsistencies where advantage is given to one group over another, or where license is taken with public funds.
It should not be that hard to understand this Newspaper’s desire to see community institutions run freely and effectively for its citizens.
Readers or the subjects of our articles should never be under any illusion that any joy is taken in bad News. We remain proud of the work our reporters do and support their efforts.
But when real hardship strikes, or affects someone often known to us by extension of family and friends in such a small community, tears do fall and we try to be as fair and decent as we can. It’s a trust we find humbling and take very seriously.
A quote often attributed to French writer and philosopher Voltaire rings as true today as ever: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
This, in part, is why journalists keep doing what they do – with no fear or regard for reprisals from people who want to keep them silent.
