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Article: A case for printing 'name withheld' letters.
- Article from:
- The Masthead
- Article date:
- June 22, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Conference of Editorial Writers. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Few things will get an opinion page editor riled up as will the suggestion that more newspapers should honor "name withheld" requests on letters to the editor. Editors will defend the sanctity of their "must sign" policies, arguing that they are upholding the principles of democracy, maintaining civil discourse, and preserving the traditions of journalism ethics.
More often, you hear a variation of, "If you don't have the guts to sign your name, you don't deserve to have your say." From a pragmatic approach, many editors also contend that when newspapers publish unsigned letters, they open themselves to libel suits or charges of ethical breaches.
It's ...