Finally, Mr. Stokes insists that he spoke as a resident of Newport as well as a member of EDC s board, but not as the executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, Mr. Stokes explains, has not defined a position regarding the construction of a container port at Quonset. If members of the chamber want the organization to come out with a position, Mr. Stokes said that they should write to its board requesting that it form one. As a community watchdog, this newspaper is duty-bound to engage fully in the search for the meaningful facts that affect Newport s future, and to interpret those facts contextually, in such a way that their relevance is brought to light. We feel that we owe it to our readers to question those in positions of responsibility, particularly when such policy shapers refuse to take a clear stance right out in public.
Journalism is referred to as the first draft of recording history.
Mistakes will occur when writing for a newspaper against deadline, but in this case, we stand behind our coverage of the context surrounding the Newport City Council s deliberations of that evening, deliberations that led to the unanimous vote to oppose a container port at Quonset. Click ads below for larger version System and Method for Display Ads have a Patent Pending.