Back in journalism school, our school newspaper’s editorial adviser used to preach something along the lines of, “If half the people are mad at you today and the other half are mad at you tomorrow, you’re probably doing your job right.”
Remembering such a statement can be a sound self-help strategy for any writer who finds him or herself put on blast in 21st-century journalism, where readers need mere seconds to post their gut reactions in comment sections or on social media.
Here at NonDoc, we try to take most every criticism — from large to small, from strangers and supporters — in stride. “Thanks for reading,” we typically reply. Because even if people are really taking us to the woodshed over an editorial decision they don’t like, at the end of the day, we are glad to see they are paying attention.
Thanks for reading this Thanksgiving
On this Thanksgiving, we say “thanks for reading” in a slightly different sense, but in many ways it’s all the same.
Readers are the lifeblood of any publication, and we attempt to consider the best interests of readers in the editorial decisions we make. Often (we hope) we succeed, but sometimes readers critique our decisions and make us think them through further, which is rarely a bad thing.
We also say “thanks for reading” to everyone who submits Letters to the Editors. Not only do letters allow readers the chance to chime in on a topic or piece that spoke to them (positively or negatively), it supports NonDoc’s goal to create a responsible public forum where a variety of voices are respected and published.
So, as you relax with family, food and football this Thanksgiving, just know that the NonDoc family appreciates your readership, your viewpoints, your contributions and your support.
And if you happen to stumble across something on our site that you either like or loathe, well, thanks for reading, either way.