The Jewish Standard’s publisher said the weekly newspaper “may have acted too quickly” earlier this month when it apologized for publishing a same-sex wedding announcement and promised to publish no more.
James Janoff, the publisher, wrote in his Oct. 6 statement posted on the Jewish Standard website that the initial decision to run the same-sex wedding announcement was part of the newspaper’s job. “We ran the wedding announcement because we felt, as a community newspaper, that it was our job to serve the entire community — something we have been doing for 80 years,” Janoff wrote.
“We did not expect the heated response we got, and — in truth — we believe now that we may have acted too quickly in issuing the follow-up statement, responding only to one segment of the community,” he added. Janoff explained that the newspaper would be meeting with leaders in the community and would be printing readers reaction letters.
“We urge everyone to take a step back and reflect on what this series of events has taught us about the community we care so much about, and about the steps we must take to move forward together,” Janoff wrote.
Hat Tip: The Record