We published an Op-Ed this morning from John Sellers on the Newfound School Districts mask policy. John sent it to the local rag, but they refused to publish it. When John inquired about its absence, the Editor was “kind enough” to send him this reply.
If the Daily Sun saw fit to publish it, sir, that is their concern. I manage the Newfound Landing and Record Enterprise, and I am not comfortable publicizing opinions that call the effectiveness of mask-wearing into question while we are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Per company policy, it is my prerogative as the Editor, and mine alone, to determine what I deem suitable for publication in our newspapers.
Brendan Berube
Executive Editor
Salmon Press Newspapers
(603) 279-4516, ext. 101
brendan@salmonpress.news
And
Villager Newspapers
(508) 909-4106
brendan@villagernewspapers.com
Brendan is correct. As the Editor, he decides what gets published. And he is “not comfortable publicizing opinions that call the effectiveness of mask-wearing into question while we are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.”
Related: As Some Push for New Mask Mandates in Schools … We Help You Push Back
So, Brandan would never (we must assume) mention this CDC-funded scientific research that found facemasks effectively useless.
In our systematic review, we identified 10 RCTs that reported estimates of the effectiveness of face masks in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the community from literature published during 1946–July 27, 2018. In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks
Brendan is also unlikely to care about any of the other research or scientific studies since then that “call the effectiveness of mask-wearing into question.”
Mr. Berube must also have no interest in NIH-funded research that investigates the health risks of mask-wearing.
Or, God Forbid, he digs into New Hampshire’s COVID19 summary data showing that normal, healthy children have nothing to fear from COVID or that they could be more at risk from the mask than the virus.
Far be it from me to suggest that the editors of local media “watchdogs” provide readers with information that does not match their personal opinions, but one resident, Sharon Lee from Bristol, had other thoughts about this when she heard.
Thank you so much for censoring opinions and information for your idiot readers who are too stupid to separate fact from fiction for themselves. If not for your courageous intervention, we would have to relocate to China for this valuable service.
At GraniteGrok, we are not shy about our preferences. Our opinions are filtered through a pro-constitution, free-market, individual liberty bias. We’re not pretending otherwise while allowing open debate and opinions (in comments) that contradict our worldview.
Brendan Berube is “not comfortable publicizing opinions that call the effectiveness of mask-wearing into question while we are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic,” even though there’s plenty of room for debate about masks, wearing them, or even the idea that this was a pandemic, which is a disservice to his audience because there are plenty of them who are more openminded but will never have that curiosity explored if the read his little local newspaper.
But that’s okay. In my experience, they are all like that, and not much will change until they disappear.
