Division fosters awareness and understanding
Earlier related post here.
"Why does the News & Record play up the issues that divide us?"
That question was asked by a member of the audience of One Guilford, the leadership symposium sponsored by the News & Record 10 days ago. (Read more about it in the Ideas section.)
I've learned to expect that question whenever more than two people get together to discuss civic affairs, and that day about 225 political and business leaders packed into the Hayworth Fine Arts Center at High Point University.
Normally, I respond to that question by asking the Democrats to raise their hands, then the Republicans. That pretty much makes the point that right-thinking people can disagree over the best course of action.
But I wasn't in the room when that question was raised so I will address it here.
As unfortunate as it is, contention, not contentment, captures most of the headlines. That's only natural; conflict is at the core of news. We write more about war than peace. We write more about political arguments than love fests, although, these days, if bipartisanship broke out between Democrats and Republicans -- in Congress or among the county commissioners -- that would be big news.
An editor once described "news" to me this way: If the plane arrives at the airport on time, no big deal. You expect it to be there. But if the plane sits on the tarmac fully loaded for seven hours or, heaven forbid, it crashes, then that's news.
Granted, that is simplistic. The world is a complicated, nuanced place, and with daily deadlines, most newspaper stories provide a snapshot view of the world at best.
Conflict isn’t the only reason to write a story, mind you. Every day, we write about the best sides of human nature. For instance, last week we wrote about Delores Sawyer, who has worked with exceptional children for nearly 35 years in Rockingham County; about Brittany Smith and Stacey Haines, part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program; about the outpouring of support for High Point Mayor Becky Smothers as she battles cancer; and about the exciting new exhibits at the Natural Science Center.
But our primary obligation is to bring you the news, which often means that our stories strike a nerve. It could be about disagreements over how to provide hospital care in North High Point, or questions about the treatment of prisoners in county lockup, or concern over the unrelenting sluggishness of the local economy.
What’s more, many of those stories don’t come out fully formed. A case in point is last week's internal audit story at N.C. A&T. School officials could have released the audit reports to the public early in the week, openly revealing the school's financial issues and shortening the story's life span. They declined. As a result, we published stories throughout the week as more and more information came out.
Did we "play up" a divisive story? We tried to get to the bottom of it. But it can appear as if the story never dies.
Obviously, news isn’t always pretty, and it may make readers feel uncomfortable. The challenge for a newspaper is to provide perspective and proportionality. Writing only about shouting matches without considering the larger scope is irresponsible.
Frankly, the possibility that a story may be considered divisive by some people doesn't carry much weight in our considerations. Instead, we ask whether our reporting tells readers something they should know. Is the story relevant? Is it fair?
Division isn't necessarily bad. Addressed openly, it can inspire a closer look at the decisions power brokers make. It can give voice to voiceless people. It can raise questions that demand answers. Ultimately, the public good is served.
In the end, robust civic discussions over the issues that divide the community are healthy. How do you achieve resolution without awareness and understanding? Writing about them issues is one way in which ideas are raised, discussed, examined and understood.
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