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Why
THE PLAIN TRUTH
Stands
Above Politics
by
Keith W. Stump
This magazine, in more than 50 years of publishing, is politically unaffiliated. Why?
I
he Plain Truth
is not
politically affiliated.
1
t ís not "left wing. "
Jt
is
not "right wing. "
1
t is not
- as sorne few have assumed- a
"tool of Western imperialism."
It
is time you understood where
The Plain Truth
is "coming from."
Picase do not
assume
you know
until you have read this art icle!
Plain Speaking
One reader wrote in a letter to the
editor: "Your pro-British bias is
inexcusable!"
The reply carne in response to
this magazine's use of the name
" Londonderry' ' instead of " Derry"
when referring to that strife-torn
city of Northern Ireland. "Early in
the 17th century," the reader con–
tinued, "Derry was renamed Lon–
donderry
by the British,
with
whom you obviously side."
Other readers have taken us to
task for using (or not using!) " Is–
rael" instead of " Palestine"; "West
Bank" instead of " Judea and
Samaria"; "Persian Gulf ' instead
of "Arabian Gulf"-and vice versa;
"South-West AfricafNamibia" in–
stead of "Namibia." The examples
are numerous.
July/ August 1985
Why do we choose the geograph–
ic and historical terms that appear
within our pages?
Most of our readers understand
that a rnass-circulation magazine
sucb as
The Plain Truth
must use
tbe terms that are
most widely rec–
ognizab/e.
Virtually all readers are
familiar, for example, with the
term "West Bank," which desig–
nates the disputed territory just to
the west of the Jordan River. Sig–
nificantly fewer, however, realize
tbat " Judea and Samaria" is often
used by the l sraelis to designate the
same region. In preferring the
more recognizable term, we are
simply taking the side of
clarity,
not taking a política( stand.
The Plain Truth
has to use
terms that are understood by the
general readership. This magazine
is
not
taking a politicaJ stand every
time it uses a geographical or his–
torical term. Those few readers
who assume we are making veiled
political statements each time we
employ a geographic term with
potential política! connotat ions are
mistaking the entire purpose and
approach of
The Plain Truth.
The goal of
The Plain Truth
is
to make its message
p/ain!
We do
not obscure or conceal our message.
We plainly announce wbat we have
to say. Our readers never have to
guess.
The subtitle of this magazine is
"a magazine of
understanding."
1t
is by the most widely used, clearly
understood terms that we can best
get across our message to the
widest possible audience.
When articles are assumed to be
biased, it is all too often because
the
reader
projects deep-rooted
sensitivities on to articles. l t is easy
to read into articles what was never
remotely intended.
The Plain Truth
speaks out
clearly and plainly.
If
a viewpoint
or position is meant to be taken,
our readers will be left in no doubt.
Never will they have to deduce or
surmise our meaning based on the
supposed "connotations" of our ter–
minology.
Unique Pe rspectiva
Bu t beyond these questions of
words and terms líes a much larger
issue.
Where is
this magazine "coming
from" anyway?
For the record, there is not-nor
has there ever been-a polít ica]
party or nat ional government or
sorne unknown prívate funding
39