To the editor: The Telegraph is doing just fine
The Chester Telegraph | Mar 23, 2026 | Comments 4
I heard that there was talk at a recent Chester Select Board meeting about problems the board was having with The Chester Telegraph, which is one of two news outlets of record for the town. Then I heard the same criticism at the beginning of Thursday’s school board meeting. A few people seem to think The Telegraph is at worst biased, at least not doing its job well.
The Chester Telegraph is doing fine. As an on-and-off journalist since 1984, I am very pleased with what Chester gets from The Telegraph. The facts are simple: first, The Telegraph is almost always there when something that matters to Chester is going on; second, the picture it gives of what was going on and what was said is always very carefully written; third, there certainly are biased articles in The Telegraph, but these are called editorials, op-ed pieces, and letters to the editor, which are significant analytical opinion pieces that any news outlet should offer its readers.
Providing good journalism is difficult, and Cynthia Prairie and Shawn Cunningham do an excellent job of doing it right. With news outlets dying all over the country (and the world), Chester residents are fortunate to have a reliable news outlet dedicated to our small town and region. If you have a complaint, send them a letter to the editor. They will, I am sure, listen.
Nicholas Boke
Chester
Filed Under: Commentary • Letters to the Editor
This was an excellent piece followed by three good comments. To Linda Diak I have to say that you are completely right. The First Amendment states in part that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”. While this is addressed to Congress, we expect that NO organ of government will prohibit freedom of the press, and also that none will impose religion or non-religion on us or favor one over the other in any way. Apparently, not all select boards have read the Bill of Rights.
Clarification: The board wasn’t having problems with the Chester Telegraph. The board chair had a problem. The chair then went on to attempt to tie the CT’s position as paper of record to their choice of verbs (choices that were accurate, btw.) Government has no business telling a newspaper what to write. It is in the Constitution. Anyone holding or seeking a government position (select boards and school boards are our local government) should understand that.
Well said, Angela Farrar. As far as I’ve ever seen, The Telegraph is perfectly willing to publish letters to the editor which express an opposing point of view. A functional community is one which can engage in discussions without devolving to name calling or unfair characterizations.
Given the current political environment at the national level, I believe it’s more important than ever for us to find ways to come together and that begins with rational discussions, maintained through willingness to keep control over any impulses we may feel to lash out at someone with an opposing point of view. Most of us would never speak rudely to our neighbors in a face to face conversation, so why is it so difficult to maintain that same level of decorum when we’re on line? After all, we have so much more in common than we do differences, so let’s all try to remember that when we’re communicating “across the aisle.”
If readers genuinely believe the paper is missing perspectives or getting things wrong, the most constructive response is not simply to label it biased—it is to contribute. Letters to the editor and guest columns exist for exactly this reason. A stronger diversity of viewpoints comes from participation, not just criticism.
At the same time, these discussions should remain grounded in verifiable facts. It is easy to dismiss coverage as biased when it challenges our assumptions, but if the underlying information is accurate, that discomfort may be worth examining. Facts are not partisan, even when they are inconvenient.
A healthy local paper depends on both responsible editorial judgment and an engaged readership willing to add to the conversation. If we want better discourse, the answer is not to disengage—it is to show up, make the case, and be willing to have our own views tested along the way.