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I often disagree with him. Isn’t that the point?
Letter from the Editor I regularly get emails like this one, about our conservative columnist Ted Diadiun:
“Why do you continue to allow Ted Diadiun access to your platform as a vehicle to spread lies and misinformation in support of a criminal POTUS?... End Diadiun’s access to a platform to misinform.”
People on the left regularly decry Ted, saying they vehemently disagree with his arguments on the right side of political issues. Many don’t accept that what he writes is opinion. They say he dangerously fills the heads of his readers with false facts.
Of late, his detractors have gone so far as to demand his ouster because he called for the impeachment of Donald Trump after enthusiastically endorsing his re-election last fall. They say this proves Ted is wrongheaded in what he writes, making him unqualified to be a columnist.
First, let me say clearly, Ted is not going anywhere. I’m proud to publish his columns, even though I don’t agree with some of what he writes. Actually, I’m proud to publish his columns specifically because I disagree with some of his points. That’s the whole point of publishing opinion on news platforms. It is to expose people to points of view that differ from their own, to help us all understand each other. I want to read opinion that differs from mine. It opens my mind.
Second, I think Ted’s calling for Trump’s impeachment after having endorsed him is much more of a reason to champion Ted than to oust him. How many columnists in this country would have the bravery and humility to quite publicly do what Ted did? He watched Trump’s role in the January 6 insurrection and condemned it, after staunchly advocating a second term for him. We should celebrate that kind of independent thinking, not criticize it.
I’ve known Ted for a quarter century now. I met him 25 years ago yesterday, when I came to Cleveland to interview for a job at The Plain Dealer. We hit it off immediately and in the next 25 years would have many conversations and debates. I eventually became the newspaper’s Metro Editor and had a lot of interaction with Ted in his various roles, including reader representative.
What I always respected in Ted was his ability to debate. He regularly would come by my desk to talk about stories or approaches, and he loved to challenge me. He always did so with civility, and he always did it like a dog with a bone. When you debate Ted, you better have the facts on your side, because he quickly spots and exploits any vulnerability in your position.
There were times he would walk away from my desk red-faced with anger, because I would refuse to engage him. No debate with Ted is ever short, and sometimes, I simply did not have a half hour to spar with him on his issue of the day. He’d walk away pretty mad, but because I respect him, I always made it a point to catch up with him later to have his desired debate.
The other thing I always respected about Ted is his writing. He’s one of the best writers I’ve worked with, and I always thought Cleveland readers lost out because Ted spent so little time in his career writing. He makes his points gently. He does not use harshness. And he writes with more clarity than most. When he wrote a weekly reader representative column, I almost never failed to be struck by the quality of his writing.
Clearly, then, I’m fond of Ted. He was the key factor in my getting hired in Cleveland. (So, blame him!) And I feel fortunate for having known him these last 25 years. When he retired and we prevailed on him to write a column from the conservative viewpoint and be on our Editorial Board, I felt we had a victory for our readers. Ted is a window into the conservative’s soul for those who are not conservative, and an articulate advocate for those who are.
One other thing about Ted: I don’t tell him what to write. And I don’t tell him what not to write. He’s a columnist. We pay him specifically because we want his point of view. He tells me sometimes that people express shock that I allowed him to offer some viewpoint or the other. That’s not how I work, and I feel certain Ted would walk away if we put those kinds of restraints on his columns.
Thanks,
Chris Quinn Editor and Vice President of Content
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