I have come to the conclusion that I cannot write without offending people. Finally in 1914, after eight years of haggling and not backing down, his book was published. Some readers howled, others recognized truth and good writing. Murder and mayhem are messy. Funerals are sad.
Corruption is disgusting.
All of it can be offensive. A family newspaper is not a James Dickey novel and we do edit how we tell tales and take pictures. Wholeness, rather than polar opposites, is a concept of coverage that ASNE has been effective in promoting. Hold a mirror up to your community in the pages of your newspaper and make sure the image you shine back is whole and true. Over time, intelligent readers know when you are and when you are not giving the whole picture.