The Flow of information in Payson

The Flow of Information in Payson

The flow of information in Payson has some serious shortcomings. The Payson Roundup, due to limited print space, inevitably cherry-picks which letters to the editor appear in the paper. While this is understandable from a physical-space perspective, it also creates an opportunity—intentional or not—to steer public communications in one direction or another. There’s an easy fix: publish every submitted letter in the online edition, unfiltered. Let readers decide what matters.

But the bigger barrier to open, honest civic dialogue in Payson comes from gatekeeping.

On the airwaves, KMOG tightly controls who gets to speak and who gets to respond, shaping the narrative instead of simply hosting it. Meanwhile, the local Tea Party restricts discussion and attendance at its meetings, ensuring that the messaging presented at these gatherings faces little challenge or scrutiny. These practices choke off the diverse viewpoints needed for a healthy community conversation.

If Payson wants to function as a real free-speech community, then everyone must have equal access to information. And those who control the platforms—newspapers, radio, or political groups—must recognize their responsibility to be fair, open, and impartial. Free speech only works when the doors to public discourse are open to all, not just a select few.

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