It would be such a shame to see The Echo, a newspaper formed to offer an alternative view to an agenda-driven conservative press, turning itself into a machine for unapologetic propaganda of its own.
I refer specifically here to ‘Greens candidate defends gun/taser policy against Labor’ (Echo, 26 June). It could however relate to any number of almost weekly such ‘news’ items where the Greens candidate is given free, unquestioned reign while any scant voice offered to others will be selectively paraphrased and rebutted.
The report might have included the perspective that headline events, like the death of aged-care resident, Clare Nowland, might be viewed in the context of the number of more numerous, but less-publicised events, where lethal force and/or dangerous situations may have been avoided by tasers.
It might have pointed out that a policy confining the distribution of weapons to specialised units and ‘situations where life is threatened’ poses difficulties. All wonderful Greens idealism but how often do violent offenders (psychologically disturbed or otherwise) give notice that they will pose a lethal threat so that the crack unit might be rapidly assembled? Or so the patrol officer can assess the danger before hightailing back to the station for a taser?
It might also be less insulting to the Greens candidate not to assume that her merits cannot hold their own on an even playing field. Certainly less insulting to your readers – is this the standard of journalism we deserve?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
