Reader's Corner

Can journalists counteract hatred toward the press? It starts with explaining what we do.

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The murder of five employees of an Annapolis, Md., newspaper by a reader nursing a years-long grudge over a story on his criminal conviction for harassing a woman was a horrifying, extreme example of a harsh reality editors everywhere face every day: Some people get really, really angry about the news and it's a daily slog to defuse that rage and educate the public on the vital role of the press in a free society.

After the horrific attack at the Capital Gazette, it's more important than ever that we take every opportunity – in our stories, on our "about" tabs on homepages, and in encounters with the public – to explain our mission: Who we are, what we do, why it matters.

Read more at Poynter.org

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