Picket Fence Media Editorial Staff
As a staff of community reporters, editors, designers, advertising managers and more, members of the Picket Fence Media team were devastated to read the news of the mass shooting in Anne Arundel County, Maryland at the Capital Gazette.
The Capital Gazette, the modern adaptation of the Maryland Gazette, is one of the nation’s oldest newspapers. The Gazette has printed news since 1727, decades before the fight for America’s independence.
In July 1776, under the nation’s first female publisher, the Gazette ran the Declaration of Independence. The Baltimore Sun recently reported that the Declaration of Independence was in fact printed on page two, referring to it as “buried.”
On the front page—local news.
On June 28, the shooter allegedly killed five employees of the Capital Gazette: Rob Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith. Two more were injured in the shooting.
The shooter had a reportedly longstanding feud with the Capital Gazette after a 2011 article was published detailing a court case in which he harassed women through Facebook. He took exception with the article and unsuccessfully sued the Capital Gazette for defamation.
Since before the literal birthing of these United States, community journalism has been a cornerstone of this country.
Community journalism is a privilege to provide, and we, as members of Picket Fence Media, remain proud and steadfast in supporting the work of the Capital Gazette as well as all news publications dedicated to preserving a free press and reporting the truth.
Our hearts, thoughts and well wishes are with the victims and families in Maryland and with all of our fellow journalists across the nation. We are with you.
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