To the Editor:

I opened today’s paper expecting to read local news. Instead, I found a full-page political piece titled “What is Socialism?” comparing socialism to fascism and Marxism while specifically naming Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton and warning readers to “Beware.”

I have no problem with people expressing political opinions or purchasing advertising. What concerns me is when a political message is presented in a format that closely resembles news or educational content without an equally prominent indication that it is paid advocacy and a private citizen’s opinion.

Newspapers occupy a unique position in our communities because readers trust them to distinguish between reporting, opinion and advertising. When that distinction becomes blurred, it doesn’t just diminish confidence in a single article, it diminishes confidence in the publication itself.

If your newspaper is going to publish political advocacy of this nature, I believe readers deserve clearer labeling and transparency so there is no confusion about what is journalism and what is paid persuasion.

I value local journalism, which is why this disappointed me so much. I hope you’ll consider how choices like this affect the trust of longtime readers.

Tiffany Zwolakowski

Broadview Road