Show As most of you saw last week we made It on Salt Lake City Channel 4 TV news I guess you could say we hit the big screen because we resisted the efforts of a pressure group to publish Inthe in Ir inthe the paper a letter that we considered defamatory slanderous and possibly even libelous Just because someone writes us a letter does not bind us to put this letter into print We have a large file of letters collected over the years years' which we have j judged to not be In the public interest because they contain unsubstantiated accusations accusations accusations ac ac- of a defamatory nature that could only result ina in ina ina a long drawn out fight including name calling and personal attacks For many years we included under the name plate on the front page The spoken word is like the air the printed word is always there We still maintain that once an item comes out in the print media it itis itis itis is a permanent record and it itcan itcan itcan can always be displayed and cannot be changed We try to be a responsible press and we cherish the right given in the first amendment to toa toa toa a free press By being responsible we believe we will always remain free from governmental and political controls which would bridle the press We also try to maintain a balance of fairness and equal treatment of news coverage but we like to play up the positive features of the local area We like to sensationalize when we honestly can A good goodnews goodnews goodnews news scoop is what is all alI about We try to tell telI it like it is But one of the problems of news gathering is to know what is truth what is fact what is opinion and what is rumor We have purposely ly not reported until last week the many accusations of a group calling caIling the Concerned Concerned Concerned Con Con- Citizens for Better Belter School Government against the Uintah School District officials and board members because we felt these problems since they were mainly personal in nature would be solved by the board We have made repeated inquiries into the allegations made by the accusing parties and felt that no public good would come from publishing the attacks made on the school administrators However because of the wide spread interest cr created by the TV coverage we decided to print as objectively as possible the major allegations We support our school administrators administrators ad ad- and feel they are trying to do a good job Anytime you deal with as many people as they do making policy decisions hiring firing and trying to make the best use of an 8 million budget youre you're going to make a few mistakes have critics opponents and even enemies We are sorry the school district problems received so much coverage in the Salt Lake medias which of course was one sided We still maintain It Itis Itis Itis is none of their business Our community has problems many problems but none are so great that they cannot be solved right here in our public sch school 1 board meetings city councils and county commissioners meetings There is no need to try to influence outside news medias to take sides Because we did not print the Snyder letter we have taken public abuse received crank phone calls calIs been threatened with competition and even received pressure to sell out We have also received praise encouragement and expressions expressions ex ex- ex- ex expressions of admiration and support from many local citizens who have h ve stopped by to say keep up the good work We guess this is the nature of our job We dont don't please everyone all the time We once again wish to encourage encourage encourage en en- courage those in our community community com who fill the roles of elected and appointed public officials Theirs Is an ex exx jence everyone should have haye for a few lew days just lor tor the sake ot of realizing the terrific pressures and responsibilities that are attached to these jobs in our modern highly bureau regulated complex society with all its cherished freedoms and opportunities |