To the editor: The job of a journalist is to be a filter. The assignments staff and/or news editor chooses what stories to cover. The photo-journalist chooses what to shoot and what not to record. The reporter chooses what facts to include and what sound-bites or quotes to include and exclude. And the producer or editor is the final filter as to what approach to take on a story and what stories or other content to include or exclude.

Last week, The Covington News chose to put an editorial on its front page along side a news story. On Sunday, a letter to the editor contained vitriol of the ugliest sort directed at the president of the United States...inappropriate regardless of who is the intended but egregious when directed at the holder of the highest position in our land.

Clearly the filter at The Covington News is broken.

Bob Furnad
Educator and journalist for more than 40 years