To the editor:
An editorial, by definition, is an opinion piece. Why then did you publish a news item about a public event which occurred, the April 13 protest in downtown Tucson against the proposed Rosemont Mine, and label it as a “guest editorial”? I have now read this news article several times and for the life of me I can’t find any opinions by the authors. It’s about as clear a news story as I’ve ever read. There are facts stated: that this protest occurred, where and when it occurred, who was there, and why. As with any news reporting, the story includes quotes from people who attended the protest and quotes from the speakers. Is the Vail Voice suggesting that it was only the “opinion” of the reporters that this event occurred or their “opinion” that the attendees and speakers said what they said? Now, you did run a true opinion piece next to it, or rather a free public relations spin job, written by Hudbay’s local lackey. That was definitely a “guest editorial” (to put it kindly). But the fact that hundreds of local citizens gathered downtown on April 13 to protest this proposed open pit mine is not an opinion, it actually happened. Your attempt to appear impartial and not offend anyone by juxtaposing an editorial and a news story and labeling them both as “guest editorials” doesn’t really work. In the future, I hope you will label editorials as such, and report news as news.
D.M. Burke
Corona de Tucson