• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source

DEAR READER: 9/1/2016

Written by DIG STAFF Posted September 1, 2016 Filed Under: Dear Reader, NEWS+OPINIONS

DR_1835_728

DEAR READER,

The problem with free speech today is that it works both ways; it has no boundaries and should be accepted as such, and it forces us to question what’s acceptable and what’s not. The BPD officer who decries a quarterback’s refusal to stand and respect America in support of the BLM movement often feels that his ability to speak honestly about his own personal reality is stymied. This isn’t the world we live in. It’s the world we’ve created for ourselves.

 

The media suffer from the same bipolar conundrum. We want the press to be free but we question that freedom, and then suddenly the free press isn’t so free and it’s censored no matter how. But is that really unexpected and does it compromise our ability to be free?

 

When I started publishing words 20 years ago this September, I was absolute about my right to print whatever I wanted. I encouraged writers who agreed with that philosophy and who were more than eager to oblige regardless, and we did exactly that. Over the years, however, that ideal has evolved, and truth be told, I’ve censored myself, my writers, and this company as a whole. The reasons have been varied: sensitive topics, personal relationships, and yes, advertisers. The reality is, we grew from a ’zine into a business, and we had staff that relied on the business for their livelihood. Granted, most would say that the meager pay we occasionally peeled off of our losses wasn’t exactly a livelihood, and I would agree. But it was enough to avoid starvation and build a resume, and that was enough to think twice about how something we said could impact our friends, readers, and especially our advertisers. That may not sit well with some, but I don’t care if people question it, or question us.

 

I’ve never allowed a positive review of any business or band to run because we were paid for it or were afraid of losing ad dollars afterwards, but we’ve avoided news and arts features that could potentially harm our advertisers’ business. I’ve never allowed a news story to be killed because someone told me to not run it, but I’ve pulled articles that I felt could harm us or create an unsafe environment for the staff. I’ve censored us so we can have the freedom to choose not to.

 

It’s always been a gut call and usually as we go to press but I don’t regret a single decision. While rare—maybe once a year, so 20 all told—I stand by them all… because free speech works both ways; it should be unfettered whether you choose to say it or not.

 

Jeff Lawrence, DigBoston Publisher + Editor

 


OCW_FedEx_200OH, CRUEL WORLD

Dear FedEx Office Print & Ship Center,
Who in the fuck do you think you are with those prices? On shipping and now on copies too! This isn’t yet another rant about the often lazy and incompetent employees who (kind of) work there. No, this is about your scumsucking company charging more than four bucks for a double-sided print on colored cardstock, which is utterly insane. Printer consumables have gotten a lot cheaper over the past few years, all while your prices have skyrocketed. You’ve always been gaugers, but at least I used to stock up on staples and tape and whatever else wasn’t bolted down to make up for being ripped off. Short of walking off with one of your machines, I’m not sure how I’ll ever compensate for these outrageous new prices.

DIG STAFF
+ posts

Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.

  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    In Between Days Festival Announces 2023 Lineup
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Dig This: Boston Underground Film Festival @ The Brattle
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Dig This: Silent Disco @ Night Shift’s Everett Taproom
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Dig This: Six Days Of St. Paddy @ Thirsty Scholar

Filed Under: Dear Reader, NEWS+OPINIONS

WHAT’S NEW

State Wire: Funds Aim To Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

State Wire: Funds Aim To Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

Parks & Checks: Wasteful, Opaque Bookkeeping At Two City Of Boston Nonprofit Arms

Parks & Checks: Wasteful, Opaque Bookkeeping At Two City Of Boston Nonprofit Arms

Surf’s Upcycled: Meet The Bay State Surfers Conserving The Oceans Where They Ride

Surf’s Upcycled: Meet The Bay State Surfers Conserving The Oceans Where They Ride

State Wire: Public Supports Changes To High-Stakes Testing For Mass Students

State Wire: Public Supports Changes To High-Stakes Testing For Mass Students

State Wire: White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High In New England

State Wire: White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High In New England

State Wire: Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

State Wire: Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

Primary Sidebar

LOCAL EVENTS

AAN Wire


Most Popular

  • Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
  • The Most Expensive Massachusetts City For Car Insurance (No, It’s Not Boston)
  • If You Find A Mini Felted Animal Around Boston, This Is Where It Came From
  • Photo Dispatch: “Ukraine Day” Rally In Boston’s Copley Square
  • As Prices Soar, Fossil Fuel Industry Looks After Its Interests On Beacon Hill

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an email blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: sales@digboston.com To reach editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): editorial@digboston.com