FROM THE
TIIE EDITOR
Readers want
want the truth
A
A
operator came
came up
up to to me
me recently
recently and
and during
during
n n operator
our
conversation
said
something
that
startled
our conversation said something that startled
me: "You
"You guys
guys with
with the
the trade
trade magazines
magazines
me:
always
ignore
the
bad
things
and
only print
print
always ignore the bad things and only
the
good
stuff.
We
need
to
know
everything!"
the good stuff. We need to know everything!"
couldn't quite
quite figure
figure out
out if if it it was
was a a question
question or
or a a
I I couldn't
statement,
but
obviously
he
was
waiting
for
me
to
make
statement, but obviously he was waiting for me to make
reply.
a a reply.
"Do people
people really
really believe
believe we
we do
do that?,"
that?," I I silently
silently
"Do
questioned
myself.
I
had
to
think
about
it
because
questioned myself. I had to think about it because it it
was a a vaguely
vaguely familiar
familiar statement
statement but
but I'd
I'd always
always heard
heard
was
it
in
reverse
about
newspaper
and
1V
news--that
they
it in reverse about newspaper and TV news -- that they
ignore
the
good
deeds
in
favor
of
sensationalism,
which
ignore the good deeds in favor of sensationalism, which
usually the
the seamier
seamier side
side of
of life.
life. The
The letters
letters to
to the
the
is is usually
editor
section
of
our
local
paper
consistently
features
editor section of our local paper consistently features
admonishments from
from someone
someone outraged
outraged at at pictures
pictures
admonishments
focusing
on
human
misery
or
violence
that
seem to
to
focusing on human misery or violence that seem
adorn
the
headlines.
adorn the headlines.
So, here
here was
was someone
someone that
that seemed
seemed to to think
think that
that
So,
we
were
systematically
censoring
the
news
resulting
in
we were systematically censoring the news resulting in
an
unrealistic,
rose-colored-glasses
view
of
the
state
of
an unrealistic, rose-colored-glasses view of the state of
the industry.
industry.
the
The
more I I thought
thought about
about it, it, the
the more
more I I was
was certain
certain
The more
that
we
most
certainly
are
NOT
doing
that.
In
fact,
that we most certainly are NOT doing that. In fact,
I
had
been
accused
by
a
manufacturer
of
printing
earlier
earlier I had been accused by a manufacturer of printing
story that
that "could
"could have
have been
been ignored."
ignored." So,
So, in in the
the same
same
a a story
week
I
had
been
accused
of
focusing
too
much
on
the
week I had been accused of focusing too much on the
rosy
side
of
the
industry
AND
also
accused
of
printing
rosy side of the industry AND also accused of printing
an unpleasant,
unpleasant, though
though factual,
factual, story
story that
that I I should
should have
have
an
skipped.
skipped.
would seem
seem that
that the
the press
press can't
can't win.
win. It's
It's a a classic
classic
It It would
case
of,
"you
can't
please
everyone
all
the
time."
And,
case of, "you can't please everyone all the time." And,
actually,
our
intentions
are
not
foremost
to
try
and
actually, our intentions are not foremost to try and
please;
our
intentions
and
goals
are
to
report,
fairly
please; our intentions and goals are to report, fairly
and unbiased,
unbiased, industry
industry news.
news. We
We are
are not
not judge
judge and
and
and
jury.
We
have
an
obligation
to
report
the
news
without
jury. We have an obligation to report the news without
sensationalism and
and without
without biased
biased views.
views. It's
It's difficult
difficult
sensationalism
to
write
a
story
that
may
be
unfavorable
to
someone
to write a story that may be unfavorable to someone
personally admire
admire and
and respect;
respect; and
and even
even more
more difficult
difficult
I I personally
10 PLAY
PLAY METER/May
METER/ May 1987
1987
10
to report
report favorably
favorably on
on someone
someone I I don't.
don't. But
But that's
that's the
the
to
job.
job.
When a a manufacturer
manufacturer calls
calls and
and wants
wants his
his game
game on
on
When
the
equipment
poll,
or
asks
to
have
a
negative
story
the equipment poll, or asks to have a negative story
pulled, I I wonder
wonder how
how credible
credible he
he feels
feels our
our magazine
magazine is is
pulled,
if
he
really
believes
we
would
do
that.
if he really believes we would do that.
But it's
it's a a Catch
Catch 22
22 situation.
situation. The
The majority
majority of
of our
our
But
readers
are
operators
and
our
focus
is
towards
helping
readers are operators and our focus is towards helping
them build
build stronger
stronger businesses.
businesses. They
They know
know they
they can
can count
count
them
on
Play
Meter
to
find
out
the
true
story
so,
in
turn,
on Play Meter to find out the true story so, in turn,
our
circulation
grows.
Advertisers
place
ads
to
reach
those
our circulation grows. Advertisers place ads to reach those
operators who
who are
are buying
buying equipment.
equipment. But
But then,
then, since
since they
they
operators
are
advertising,
in
effect
supporting
the
magazine,
some
are advertising, in effect supporting the magazine, some
try to
to dictate
dictate what
what goes
goes in in the
the magazine.
magazine. If If we
we allowed
allowed
try
that
to
happen,
soon
operators
would
see
through
the
that to happen, soon operators would see through the
pretense
and
circulation
would
drop.
Even
the
good
pretense and circulation would drop. Even the good is is
taken more
more seriously
seriously when
when readers
readers trust
trust the
the magazine.
magazine.
taken
I'm
very
proud
to
say
that
our
circulation
sizable
I'm very proud to say that our circulation is is sizable
and
I
hope
to
think
it's
because
we
print
the
true
state
and I hope to think it's because we print the true state
of
the
industry
and
reputable
news--not
simply
what
of the industry and reputable news -- not simply what is is
dictated to to us.
us. I'm
I'm sad
sad when
when we
we lose
lose an
an advertiser
advertiser because
because
dictated
of
an
article
in
the
magazine;
but
then
it
doesn't
say
of an article in the magazine; but then it doesn't say
much
for
that
company,
does
it?
Operators
will
have
other
much for that company, does it? Operators will have other
choices of of equipment
equipment and
and I I hope
hope they
they will
will support
support those
those
choices
that
support
them.
that support them.
Whoever believes
believes that
that circulation
circulation is is not
not important
important
Whoever
probably
doesn't
have
the
circulation
the
advertisers
probably doesn't have the circulation the advertisers
deserve.
deserve.
Valeria Co d~ch
quemich
Valerie Cognevich
Editor
Editor