Opinion has a place. So does disagreement.

Terry Ward, Publisher

One of the responsibilities of publishing a newspaper is understanding that not everyone will agree with everything in it.

That has always been true.

Readers will disagree with news decisions, story placement, headlines, photographs, editorials and, yes, with the publisher’s column you are reading now.

I don’t view that as a problem.

In fact, I think it is healthy.

A local newspaper should be a place where ideas are explored, difficult issues are discussed and communities think together about the future. That does not require everyone to reach the same conclusions.

It does require honesty about what readers are reading.

Every week, our newspapers contain two very different kinds of content.

The first is news.

News should be reported fairly, thoroughly and accurately. It should seek facts before conclusions. It should verify information, include relevant perspectives and correct mistakes when they occur. That work belongs to our reporters, and it is the foundation upon which everything else rests.

The second is opinion.

Opinion is different by design.

Editorials, guest columns, letters to the editor and this publisher’s column are not news stories. They are clearly labeled because they serve a different purpose. They offer interpretation, reflection and perspective. Readers are free to agree with them, disagree with them or ignore them altogether.

I have never expected every reader to share my opinions.

If anything, I would be surprised if they did.

The goal of these columns has never been to tell readers what political party to support or which candidate deserves their vote. In fact, if you’ve read them over the past several years, you’ll find that most aren’t about politics at all. They’ve been about kindness, civility, curiosity, leadership, community, responsibility, assumptions, listening and the choices that shape the places we call home.

Those are conversations worth having, even when reasonable people reach different conclusions.

Just as important is making room for other voices.

Letters to the editor have long been one of the most valuable parts of a community newspaper because they belong to the community itself. They give readers an opportunity to challenge ideas, raise concerns, offer praise or present a different perspective. We will continue to publish letters that meet our guidelines, including those that disagree with me or with our coverage.

That exchange of ideas is not a weakness of local journalism.

It is one of its strengths.

The role of a publisher is not to ask whether every opinion will be popular.

It is to ensure that news is reported responsibly, opinion is clearly identified and readers have the opportunity to think for themselves.

I have great respect for readers who disagree thoughtfully. Some of the best conversations I’ve had have begun with someone who saw an issue differently than I did. Those conversations have challenged my assumptions, sharpened my thinking and, on more than one occasion, changed my mind.

That is something worth preserving.

At a time when so many institutions are losing public trust, local newspapers should strive to be transparent about what they do and why they do it. Readers should always know when they are reading news, when they are reading opinion and who is responsible for each.

That clarity matters.

You may not always agree with my perspective. I can live with that.

What I hope we never lose is the willingness to listen to one another, to engage respectfully and to recognize that a healthy community has room for more than one point of view.

That is why our opinion pages are not reserved for my voice alone.

If you disagree with something I have written, or if you have a perspective you believe would benefit our community, I encourage you to submit a letter to the editor. One of the strengths of a local newspaper is that it provides a forum where neighbors can exchange ideas, challenge one another respectfully and participate in the civic conversation.

Not every letter will agree with me. I welcome that.

Healthy communities are not built on unanimous opinions. They are built on thoughtful dialogue, mutual respect and a willingness to consider viewpoints other than our own.

If you would like to join that conversation, send your letter to letters@ward.media. We look forward to hearing from you.

Terry Ward is the CEO of Ward Media and the publisher of NCW News, Cashmere Valley Record, Lake Chelan Mirror, The Good Life, The Leavenworth Echo, Quad City Herald, and the Wenatchee Business Journal. He can be reached at terry@ward.media.