As the former editor and assistant editor for the Great Neck Record, we are appalled that an unsigned letter filled with defamatory, unsubstantiated charges was published a week before the Great Neck Park District election.
During our time at the Record, there were very clear guidelines for letters that dealt with elections.
The week before an election, the only letters accepted were those that supported a candidate — those that bashed a candidate were not published because there would be no time for a candidate to defend himself or herself in the newspaper before election day.
Further, we required substantiation for charges made and only in rare instances allowed a letter to be published unsigned.
We have observed that the Record editorial staff has been slashed and now one person is in charge of four newspapers in the chain.
It makes us very sad to see how the publication no longer covers hard news stories, but has devolved into a publication that relies on press releases and puff pieces in place of informing the community about the issues before it.
This latest descent into irresponsible journalism has gone beyond the pale.
We are not writing in support of the candidate whose reputation was smeared, but rather in support of fair, decent coverage of an important leadership position in a vital community gem — the Great Neck Park District.
Wendy Kreitzman, former editor
(1994-2015)
Carol Frank, former assistant editor (1999-2013)
Readers Write: Paper errs in printing letter
