Getting it right is better than getting it first

One of the hardest parts of being a newspaper publisher is keeping a secret.

Many times, we are entrusted with the "rest of the story" that we keep off the record to keep our sources comfortable talking to us on the record.

It's a fine line to walk, and occasionally it backfires when another local news source goes forward with the story in order to get the scoop.

Here at Gulf Breeze News, we try a different approach. We are committed to "getting it right" even if we don't "get it first."

As a weekly newspaper, news often happens right after we deliver the newspaper to the printer, and we have to wait more than a week to report on breaking news. Immediacy is not possible even under the best conditions - our deadline is a full three days before the product hits the street.

But most of the time, our readers are grateful to get the story and to get a correction from what the other media rushed to print.

Occasionally, we are asked to keep quiet on a project that, if made public, could cause some of the backers to pull out.

There have been times when we had to use discretion and eliminate a quote said in haste by a prominent official.

Yes, it may make juicy reading, and sell a lot more newspapers. But Gulf Breeze News takes the long view, knowing that we live in this area for the long haul, long after the sensational headlines are forgotten.

Our mission is to report the news that is relevant to our readers, good and bad, but never with malicious intent.