EDITORIAL: Elections – and why we stay neutral

Local newspapers tread a tricky line at election time.

We do not want to stifle debate, but neither are we a platform for personal or defamatory attacks on candidates.

In trying to be fair, we are inevitably suspected of favouring one party over others.

So let us be clear: we stay out of party politics. We are not a Tory, Labour or Liberal paper. We encourage debate, but we do not take sides.

Clearly not everyone appreciates our position because this week our office window was defaced by a letter purportedly written by the proprietor of the Diss Express, although the writer of this piece of fiction even got that wrong.

Our proprietor is not a third baron, so there is an example of why some letters are not published: the facts are wrong.

While we do not think the letter will fool anyone, let us simply state this: the so-called letter is fake news. Someone’s political zeal has overtaken their common sense. Thankfully, all the rest of our correspondents have remained level-headed.

If, now that the election results are in, the writer’s equilibrium has returned, he or she might want to make another visit to the Express offices at a convenient time and un-super glue their work from the window.