Free Republic

America's largest newspaper chain Gannett has instructed its newsrooms to scale back opinion pieces which are 'repelling readers' who do not want to be told what to do. The newspaper chain owns the USA Today network which takes in hundreds of local newspapers in almost every state across the country. At a recent editors committee meeting in April, editors said in a presentation: 'Readers don’t want us to tell them what to think. 'They don’t believe we have the expertise to tell anyone what to think on most issues. Readers this week reacted to the news by telling the media...

Supporting our troops By Steve Almond September 18, 2008 PERHAPS the most insidious byproduct of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has been a reflexive sanctification of the military. To put this in bumper stickerese: Support the Troops. Well, I have an ugly confession to make: I don't support the troops - at least not unconditionally. When somebody tells me they serve in the military, my first impulse isn't to say, "Thank you for your service!" like those insufferable chickenhawks on talk radio. My first impulse is to say, "I'm sorry to hear that." Because I am. I'm sorry to...