“Communities such as Wellsville thrive when there is an objective, honest presentation of news”
To The Editor,
I want to thank and compliment you for your March 22nd editorial “The plague of ‘fake news’” by Andrew Harris, Since the inception of the Wellsville Sun, I have enjoyed reading your paper. My family roots are in Allegany County. Your columnists have allowed me the pleasure of keeping up with local news.
Like Mr. Harris, I well remember the service the Daily Reporter provided my family and others. We have all observed the social and political effects “fake news” has had on our local communities and the nation as a whole. The role of the “fourth estate” cannot and should not be undermined. Communities such as Wellsville thrive when there is an objective, honest presentation of news. Good news coverage enables citizens to make reasonable, informed decisions pertaining to politics, business development, supporting first responders, local businesses and the arts. We should also think of the pride and self confidence given to our students when there is good coverage of their activities.
My hope is that readers will heed Mr. Harris’s advice in learning how to discern “fake news” from real news. Healthy communities, regardless of where we live, depend on all citizens to be aware of who and how the news is presented to us, as well as determine the writer’s intent.
Very truly yours,
Charles van Heck
Former Editor of the Woodhull Arts Journal
