Dear Editor,
I decided to run for Chester GM School Board and passed all my info to the town in order. Chester had a forum for all the candidates who were running for public office. The moderator asked candidates the questions, and we all answered, giving the public why you should vote for us. It went well and The Chester Telegraph was there to report and take photos for questions they were going to ask. I and many others have had issues with The Chester Telegraph and how and why they do their reporting on articles. Their articles on candidates were, let’s say one-sided, and filled with specific words to call attention to the editors/blog views or candidates they supported.
The Chester Telegraph not only printed articles in support of my opponent, but also printed articles to not vote for me. I was interested in getting on the school board and dealing with very important issues coming our way. Chester had its voting on March 3, and the results came in. I had lost the race 287-259; I lost by 28 votes.
Freedom of speech seems to be served by The Chester Telegraph as they see fit. (1) By supporting a candidate who had ethics issues. (2) Publishing a direct article to not vote for his opponent, me. I did nothing and this hurt my votes. (3) Not printing my answers as I submitted them to the six questions that The Chester Telegraph had asked. Instead The Chester Telegraph editor, who I went back and forth with, answered my questions with “Declined to answer” for all six questions. I submitted my reply to the six questions in time to be printed in my posting running for GM School Board. So, I ask again, freedom of speech is the right to freely stomp on another’s freedom of speech if you are a well-established editor?
I then filed and read my formal complaint to our town selectboard to remove them as a paper of record. Four out of our five selectboard members voted to keep The Chester Telegraph paper of record and find my complaint to be irritating and a waste of their time and infringing on freedom of press. Freedom of speech for me, yes or no? I now find The Chester Telegraph to be not a paper, not a blog, but a tabloid, with what and how they edit and report. This is what we want our Town of Chester to be represented with by paying them?
I have asked The Chester Telegraph to please print what I had answered for my questions over and over again. They did not do this. At the selectboard meeting, The Telegraph stated it is their paper and they can print what they want. First of all, they do not meet the guidelines of paper of record and do not have a printed copy of a paper. If they can print what they want as claimed, then why ask anyone questions?
So, to that end, my response that I asked The Telegraph to put in for each of my six questions was, “No comment here. I will be happy to answer any questions in person at the Fullerton Inn on Feb. 28, at 5:30, p.m. Sincerely, Randy Miles.” The Telegraph put in “Declined to answer” for all six questions. This was another in-person open forum.
I gave a slight hint that I was not comfortable with The Chester Telegraph and left it to the voters to decide, not the editor of The Telegraph. Do you think there is a difference between what the editor of The Telegraph answered to my questions and what I submitted to them, to put in place of each of the six questions? Does The Telegraph have more of a right to print my answer for me than me? Did The Telegraph have any influence on the voting?
Sincerely,
Randy Miles
Chester, Vt.