A Campaign That Won't Happen - Editorial
Mass Priorities, the organization telling residents that Cape Cod will “waste tens of millions on government-owned broadband” in a broad media blitz, has taken its campaign to a new level. The organization is now soliciting people who signed up for its updates to write letters to the editors of our newspapers. The ask is even accompanied by a direct link to our story in the November 16 edition regarding the organization’s origins.
“This truly is a campaign led by Cape residents and we would appreciate your assistance in our campaign,” the organization stated in an email sent in December.
“Specifically,” the email reads, “we are asking today if you would be willing to help by authoring a letter to the editor.”
Mass Priorities goes even further, saying it is willing to help with both crafting letters and submitting them.
“We want it to be as easy as possible for you to have an impact and to convince local officials to get the priorities straight here on the Cape,” the email says.
Well, that won’t be as easy as Mass Priorities thinks.
The letters columns in the Enterprise newspapers are a place for readers to express their opinions and thoughts about news and issues concerning the Upper Cape communities. They are not a forum; they are not a bulletin board on which anyone who wants may tack up a note. Our editors take this very seriously.
Mass Priorities can encourage people to write the editors all they want, but it doesn’t mean those letters will be published. The Enterprise rejects very few letters, and those rejections are rarely, if ever, without sound reason: we will not accept letters that are libelous or gratuitously insulting, and we will not accept letters that are part of a campaign.
Now that Mass Priorities has alerted us to its campaign, it is very unlikely any letters of support will be published.
Anyone who seriously approves of Mass Priorities’ message has had ample time to write a letter of support. Mass Priorities has been at this since early November, and the only letter we have received in its support was from Christopher Thrasher, who happens to be policy director for the organization.
Mass Priorities appears to be aware that getting people to write will take some effort. “Please let us know if you would be willing to help with a letter to the editor, and we will follow up with you quickly,” its email states.
They are eager, if nothing else.