My last op-ed caused quite a stir. After years of no comments, no emails, and no thank-yous, I received several emails complementing our new newsletter and a few criticizing my opinion. Some responses were quite vile and aggressive.
This calls for an explanation and a follow-up.
First, the Seattle Polish News has always had a very clear mission, as articulated on our About Us page. Our news follows anything Polish anywhere in the city and the region.
Second, the news and events we report were, are, and will continue to be neutral. We do not censor, alter, or interpret the news we publish. This will not change.
Third, the most important part of my op-ed, the call to register and vote (for whichever candidate you choose), was somehow completely ignored. We are in this predicament because people don’t vote. I hoped my letter would make our readers realize that. It didn’t. As of yesterday, only 855 people had registered to vote in the second round.
In my op-ed, I did not promote an ideology, a party, or a specific candidate. As in any respected journal or magazine, editors have the freedom to express their opinions, even the controversial ones and that’s what I did.
The newsletter had the same number of readers for years, even though the number of Poles in Seattle probably rose tenfold. I decided to change the format and spice it up a little to attract new readers. It seems to be working, so please be patient, engage, comment, and share your feedback.
To put this issue to rest, I would like to propose a survey. It’s in the email. Please respond. If you didn’t receive the email, you can find it here.
