Letter to the Editor

I am writing to express my concern for an article published in your April 30, 2016 edition of the Rambler Newspaper entitled, ‘Best of Irving’ snubs most Irving businesses written by Sarah Bays. As a supporter of the Rambler and staff, I was very disappointed to read this article. The article was a one-sided, unbalanced, opinion piece on your front page. Nowhere in the article did it say you reached out to the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber for comment, who produced the event, or to verify any of the information quoted in the article.

This year’s event was unique and exciting. It was held at the Texas Musicians Museum showcasing the new amenity and the great things happening in our Heritage District. The Best in Irving event brought together small, medium and enterprising businesses to an often overlooked section of town. You missed such a great opportunity to highlight the Heritage District and promote South Irving. Instead you chose to focus on attacking the Chamber.

I read a story in which all the details provided were from two business owners, one of which who actually won an award, about the unfairness of the survey used to decide winners. As a participant in Best in Irving process, I have never experienced the process of the survey as unfair.

The statement that the award winners can only be Chamber members is an outright false statement. There have been many companies who have won Best in Irving over the years who were not Chamber members when they won, nor did they become Chamber members after. How hard would it have been to verify the facts before printing this type of falsehood?

In the paragraph referring to the Chamber’s mission statement the reporter writes that the “Chamber’s mission to create, advance and promote economic growth for our investors and community seems to contradict how the survey is conducted”. Is this a blog disguised as a news piece? Are you saying that the Chamber’s mission is compromised by the Best in Irving Awards program? This is ridiculous.

A news organization’s duty is to provide factual and unbiased information to the public. Also, I found several grammatical errors and two spelling errors – Milan and a local business’ name – Palio’s Pizza Café.

I am disappointed the Rambler would allow an article riddled with spelling and grammar errors, misleading and inaccurate news reporting to be printed, let alone be placed on its front page. I look forward to a correction and/or factual follow-up to be published.

Thank you,

Jo Ann Goin