Our Trump reporting upsets some readers, but there aren’t two sides to facts: Letter from the Editor A more-than-occasional arrival in the email these days is a question expressed two ways, one with dripping condescension and the other with courtesy: Why don’t our opinion platforms treat Donald Trump and other politicians exactly the same way. Some phrase it differently, asking why we demean the former president’s supporters in describing his behavior as monstrous, insurrectionist and authoritarian. I feel for those who write. They believe in Trump and want their local news source to recognize what they see in him. The angry writers denounce me for ignoring what they call the Biden family crime syndicate and criminality far beyond that of Trump. They quote news sources of no credibility as proof the mainstream media ignores evidence that Biden, not Trump, is the criminal dictator. The courteous writers don’t go down that road. They politely ask how we can discount the passions and beliefs of the many people who believe in Trump. This is a tough column to write, because I don’t want to demean or insult those who write me in good faith. I’ve started it a half dozen times since November but turned to other topics each time because this needle hard to thread. No matter how I present it, I’ll offend some thoughtful, decent people. The north star here is truth. We tell the truth, even when it offends some of the people who pay us for information. The truth is that Donald Trump undermined faith in our elections in his false bid to retain the presidency. He sparked an insurrection intended to overthrow our government and keep himself in power. No president in our history has done worse. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024...wo-sides-to-facts-letter-from-the-editor.html I can't help being hopeful when a column like that is published. Quixotically so I'm afraid. Any time the simple truth is written as an appeal to Trump supporters to nudge them towards reality I kid myself in to believing it is the one that's going to get through. Probably because I want it to so badly. Chris Quinn, the author, has apparently received an unusual amount of positive feedback from the piece. Perhaps because his genuine attempt not to offend comes through. I hope it makes a difference.
