And reply
Thank you for your note concerning your perceptions of our newspaper. I am always pleased when we impact a reader to the degree that they are moved to write to us.
It is clear that we will not agree on our politics. The Vail Daily makes no secret of the fact that we are a moderately Republican-leaning newspaper in our political positions. We openly toe a line that is fiscally conservative. On the other hand, we also tend to lean in the direction of strong environmental protection and favor many of the social causes that are underpinnings of traditional Democratic Party platforms. That is where the moderate part comes in.
I find it interesting that you equate our politics with our quality. I am not sure that I have ever believed the political leanings of a person or of a newspaper have much to do with their quality. Especially in the United States, quality people and quality newspapers often have differing opinions. That is what makes this a great country. It is the essential ingredient that keeps our society resilient enough to avoid the demagoguery that has destroyed so many other countries over the time that the United States has been in existence. We should thank the founding fathers of our country for having the wisdom to make protection of these differing opinions the very first amendment to the Constitution.
As to your comment on legitimacy, there is no doubt that we do not have the resources of your home town newspaper, the Minneapolis Star News. With a Sunday circulation of 675,000 they are roughly 45 times our size. Their graphics department is probably as large as my whole staff.
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On the other hand it may interest you to note that The Associated Press honored the Vail Daily with the second place General Excellence award this year in Colorado and Wyoming for all newspapers from 10,000 to 100,000 circulation. We are one of the smallest daily newspapers in that category and we feel the award makes quite a statement about the efforts of our editorial department. You might want to check whether your feelings are really about our quality or if they are about our opinions.
P.S.: You mention the Republican National Committee. I do not contribute to that organization. I find many of their positions to be harsh and uncaring. They are way too conservative, even for this Republican.
Steven K. Pope
Publisher
