The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend makes easy a decision I’ve been contemplating for a year or more: to make squabbling over national politics off limits in Reader Forum, the portion of our opinion pages dedicated to letters to the editor.

Bashing Trump or Joe Biden, or the national Democratic or Republican parties, has always been an odd fit for a community newspaper whose content is otherwise focused entirely on Isle of Wight and Surry counties. It’s logical that the opinion page, like the rest of our newspaper, should be hyperlocal. Local news provides plenty of fodder for reader commentary. 

There are many reasons for my decision:

• Folks have gotten way too emotional about national politics. They don’t discuss; they rant. 
• A letter in The Smithfield Times isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about voting for Trump or Biden. Minds are made up. The winner in November will be determined by which side turns out the most voters. 
• Most weeks, it’s a challenge to fit all our local news into the number of pages we can afford to print. A letter about national politics shouldn’t take up space that would otherwise be devoted to local news, which is the reason most people buy the newspaper.
• Letter writers often assert facts to back up their opinions. That’s not a bad thing, but our small staff doesn’t have time to fact-check letter writers’ assertions about things we’ve not independently reported. And we don’t cover national politics.
• Isle of Wight and Surry people have ample ways to express themselves about liberal-vs.-conservative politics, from social media to the region’s daily newspapers and national online forums. 

A few things won’t change as a result of our new policy:

• When a national political controversy has a direct connection to this community, we will report on it. And let you have your say on the opinion page. Hypothetical example: If an abortion provider attempts to open a clinic in Smithfield and the Town Council denies a permit request, it’s fair game for reporting and commentary.
• We will still accept and publish letters about congressional races in which Isle of Wight and Surry voters have a say. 
• If on the off chance Biden or Trump visits Isle of Wight or Surry during the campaign, we will cover it. 
• We will report how Isle of Wight and Surry counties voted in the presidential election.

Otherwise, we will stay in our lane of hometown news, which keeps us plenty busy. And like any policy, we reserve the right to revisit it one day. Given the direction of national politics, I doubt it will happen soon. 

 

Steve Stewart is publisher of The Smithfield Times. His email address is steve.stewart@smithfieldtimes.com.