Newsday marks 12 years

However, our ability to get the news first and to get it right, as well as our eye-catching front pages, ensured that we not only survived but flourished. We won the confidence of both readers and advertisers, and continue to maintain that solid foundation.

All this is not to say that the road has been easy, nor even that it has become so. That can never be the case for any media organisation worth its salt. When we started, we were determined to maintain our objectivity. This is not only a cornerstone of good journalism, but also a cornerstone of good media business. After all, unless the general public trusts a newspaper to present the facts accurately and with as little bias as possible, they will not buy the product. This is so even if the reader shares the bias — for newspaper readers always want to hear all sides, even if they agree with only one.

The fact that Newsday has, over its 12 years, been accused of being pro-PNM and pro-UNC proves that we have been doing our job. It is axiomatic that if a politician continually approves of any media body, then that media body must be biased. The same is true of any other interest group, whether the interest is racial, ethnic, or religious.

At all times, we have sought to represent all voices, and criticised those who, in our view, deserved criticism. We have also attempted to support or oppose various policies on the basis of what is best for the country as a whole — never an easy task in a society with so many competing interests. All this is not to say that we have not made mistakes. That would hardly be possible in an organisation which has to send out a new product every day.

But, where we have made errors in fact or in judgment, we have admitted to them and tried to do better. Indeed, the media is the only one of the four estates which allows external criticisms to be publicised within its own product. This is because we understand our dependence on, and responsibility to, the general public.

It is these two criteria which continue to determine how we go forward. Proud as we are of our success, we never take it for granted.

Nor do we ever assume that we have done as good a job as we might. We are continually seeking ways to improve our newspaper, to provide news, information and entertainment with accuracy, depth, and with an appealing format. We see our readers as partners in this project, and we see this project as playing an important part in building a progressive, stable society. We thank readers for their ongoing support, and hope we continue to meet their needs and wants.