Its not us
A good number of people contacted The Photo News today to ask why we had carried an eight-page special section produced by the Woodbury Gazette as an insert in last weeks newspaper.
We did not - at least knowingly.
We dont know how or why it happened - at least not yet. Wed like your help trying to find out (but more about that later).
Callers told us they were upset for several reasons:
1. The Woodbury Gazette contained unsigned letters that were critical of candidates and the Monroe-Woodbury School Board.
This is in violation of the long-standing and well-known Photo News policies of identifying letter writers and prohibiting attack letters in the edition prior to an election when those criticized would not have a chance to respond.
2. The information in the Woodbury Gazette was slated in favor three of the six candidates running for the Monroe-Woodbury School in Tuesdays election (May 15).
3. That it appeared as if The Photo News was lending its credibility to another publication.
4. That it was a lousy way to make a buck.
In a telephone interview, Ben Meyers, the editor and publisher of the Woodbury Gazette, said he did not know how it came to pass that his publication was placed inside copies of The Photo News. Thats out of my control, he said.
He noted that a similar thing happened previously when his paper was inserted into the Marketplace shopper.
Several people said the Woodbury Gazette was found in the center of The Photo News, which did carry a one-sheet insert last week for an open house at a West Milford, Pa., senior living home.
That left the appearance, they said, that someone had paid for the Woodbury Gazette to be included.
It also left the appearance, they added, that it was deliberately done.
No one paid to have the publication included.
But this is more than curious and we intend to continue to ask questions about how this happened. We could use your help, beginning with letting us know if you did receive a copy of the Woodbury Gazette inside your Photo News.
If so, where was it located inside the paper? In the center, between pages 22 and 23? Folded elsewhere in the paper?
You can comment at the bottom of this story or send an e-mail to editor.pn@strausnews.com. Also include your address. We want to see if theres any pattern to the delivery by comparing the streets to our distribution data.
We have long tried to remain factual and, above all, fair. An institution - or a business like a community newspaper - is only as good as its reputation.
When an incident like this happens, that effort is eroded.
This is not how we operate. Bob Quinn
Managing editor The Photo News