By Jeff Wennberg
With meager resources The Vermont Daily Chronicle is accomplishing the impossible by filling the black hole created by lopsided leftist news coverage in Vermont. Other commenters have cataloged the failures of most of Vermont’s legacy and new media outlets, and I will not bore the Chronicle’s readers by repeating them, but as someone who has served in public office over multiple decades, I can assure you that it was not always like this.
For as long as I can remember the Rutland Herald always tilted, then leaned, then collapsed left, especially on the editorial page. To their credit, of all the media outlets I have dealt with the Herald provided critics and those with a different perspective the opportunity to state their case on their pages. The same cannot be said of the once proud Burlington Free Press, and Vermont Digger mostly publishes unapologetic propaganda.
The imbalance of perspectives available to Vermonters is abysmal, and despite heroic efforts the Chronicle cannot fully right the scales on its own. But with growing readership and engaging content thousands of Vermonters can now see what has been missing, and perhaps as a result a chorus will demand that other outlets offer a more balanced perspective. One can hope.
In the interest of full disclosure, my wife and I have recently relocated to North Carolina, principally to be near family. But I would not be honest if I didn’t also admit enjoying living in a place where Republicans and Democrats are all treated as nice folks who happen to prefer the other party. You know, the way it used to be thirty years ago in Vermont.
The author has held many public leadership positions, including Vermont Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation and Mayor of Rutland. He now lives in North Carolina.
Publisher’s note: we welcome public reader testimonials like Jeff’s – the more the better, from both the well-known and the lesser-known. Email to news@vermontdailychronicle.com. We also welcome encouraging support of the financial nature. Subscribing Readers may mail $108 checks annually to Vermont Daily Chronicle, P.O. Box 1547, Montpelier VT, 05601.