By Tommy Purser, editor and publisher, Jeff Davis (Co.) Ledger | Several years ago, I made the decision to stop going to the Day of Prayer event held each year at the courthouse. I haven’t been in several years because I don’t feel welcome there.
Purser
What caused my feelings took three years to develop. At the very first Day of Prayer event, I went to take photos and participate in a time set aside to pray for our government, our leaders, our country, our schools, our county and city, etc. And, by the way, also for the media.
Different speakers spoke about each area and offered a prayer for God’s blessings and guidance on each.
But when it came to the media, the speaker spent most of his time criticizing the work members of the media do. I felt uncomfortable but I had to assume he was talking about the national or “mainstream” media and not me, so I let it ride.
The next year, it was more of the same but, again, I felt uncomfortable.
The following year, it was more of the same but different in one way. I was singled out in a crowded courtroom for personal criticism. I remember his words well: “Even with the local media you can’t tell what is the truth.”
That was an embarrassing time for me and the third straight year I’d become uncomfortable at the event.
I recall an old saying that goes like this: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
This was a case of embarrass me once, shame on you. Embarrass me three times, shame on me twice.
So I haven’t been back since.
What made all this come up? The national mood against my life’s work (in journalism.)
I’ve viewed my more than 43 years in Jeff Davis County as years of working hard for the betterment of our county and its citizens. Now, I wonder if anyone else feels that way.
I don’t agree with the national mood against newspapers across the country. National broadcast media — cable news in particular — I think have earned some of the criticism aimed their way. But print media spends much more time researching and verifying the items in their news pages and have a system of checks and balances, peer review, etc. And “local” broadcast media, like our radio station and the Savannah TV news stations, shouldn’t be lumped into the same category as cable news, for heavens sakes!
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