By Toni Rowan
The back page advertisement that published on July 14 in the Osceola News-Gazette was missing the disclosure stating the entity who paid for the advertisement. This was an oversight prior to production and was in no way intentional by the newspaper or its management. We were able to correct the online e-edition version the day of publication, and notified readers through our social media channels.
I personally take responsibility for the error and any confusion it may have caused. While we realize as a newspaper that many topics and issues are not always popular with all readers, the Osceola News-Gazette strives to be a vehicle for all sides of all types of issues, whether of a political nature or not. We work very hard to be unbiased in our reporting and content and this advertisement or any other advertisements, letters to the editor, stories, press releases, etc. do not reflect the views of our newspaper.
We will be reviewing our policies regarding such advertisements, to ensure this type of situation does not occur in the future.
When we do share a view, it will clearly be in print on our Viewpoint page, with the name of the author, a member of our editorial staff or guest columnist, clearly listed.
I’d also like to make it clear that our editor, Ken Jackson, does not oversee or have a role in our advertising department. The editorial and advertising departments are separate entities in our newspaper. Ken is a valued member of our news organization and does a great job as an editor and reporter.
In closing, if anyone has any questions or concerns related to the advertisement or any other matters related to our newspaper, please contact me personally at 407-846-7600 or email trowan@osceolanewsgazette.com.
Toni Rowan is the associate publisher of the Osceola News-Gazette.
