ON MY SOAPBOX
BY JASON HENNINGTON
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is not the opinion of the Taylor Press.
“For me personally, when I walk out this building, I’m not thinking about this game again,” said De’Aaron Fox, guard for the Sacramento Kings, after a loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
For a Sacramento Kings fan, that could mean, “I don’t care about that loss.”
For a different fan, that could mean, “I’m not going to dwell on it, and I’ll move on.”
Technically, he didn’t say either of those statements. However, fans heard that.
This doesn’t just happen with sports, it happens with everything. Sometimes, people – a word that has been misinterpreted – hear what is not spoken or implied.
During a recent conversation with a reader, I was told we have to stop being so biased in favor of the city. I asked what makes us biased, and the response was, “Well, you write for the other side and not for us. You wrote about the raise even though the citizens were against it.”
In August, the Taylor City Council approved a compensation increase from $25 to $1,000 a month for council members. A compensation committee appointed by the council earlier had recommended only an increase of $250 per month for each position.
I explained that we wrote it because it was passed and it uses taxpayer money. I also said we mentioned that we also reported on the outcry from the residents including the petition.
Then I was asked, “If anyone shows up with a sign, does it go on the front page?”
Before I answered, I had to consider what I was saying and what was going to be heard. My response had to be honest, but it needed to be clear.
In order for it to be clear, there would have to be an explanation, which could be taken as an excuse. Standing between a reader and the door to my office, I answered, “no, that’s not the case at all.”
The rest of the conversation was mostly me being told why the paper should not be so one-sided, literally in those words.
On social media, things can get misinterpreted because, well, it’s social media. A simple headline like, “It’s been quite a year,” can turn into “The newspaper only publishes the negative news.”
Everything is left to interpretation, which changes person to person. That does not change the way a reporter does his or her job, because the main goal is to write both sides of a story.
Will it please everyone? No, and that’s OK.
You might have just heard me say that I don’t care about a reader’s opinion. You might have also heard that I take every piece of criticism into account and it affects how I write.
I didn’t say either of those, and you may not have heard that either.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now and go take down all the Christmas decorations in my yard. The home owners association in my neighborhood said we have a week to remove them. That just means my back will be hurting Sunday evening.
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”
— Bryant H. McGill
