Never complain, never explain is my mantra. We cannot make all of the readers happy all of the time. But Harris' letter serves as a useful platform to discuss a trend that has been increasingly strange to experience as an editor.
One might think that PRWeek, as a business-to-business publication, would be generally exempt from accusations of political bias. OK, maybe that's naive. But one literally can't write anything about a political issue these days without being accused of harboring an agenda.
We get it from both sides - liberal and conservative, primarily the latter. But the Fox News story is a classic example. Objectively speaking, Fox News has had a major impact on the direction and influence of cable news. Whether or not one approves of the content, that is a fact. Our efforts to isolate its impact, rather than belabor its political slant (which is, however, written about in the piece), prompted Harris' ire. But within PRWeek's remit, I still maintain we took the right angle.
I would love to hear other opinions on this story - and on the wider issue at hand. Is it possible to separate media and politics, and should editors strive for objectivity when none is assumed by readers?