ABSTRACT
News media have published opinions and objections from the reading public since the 17th century; in fact, the early newsbooks and newspapers were filled with them. Historically, the public arguments in the late 17th and early 18th centuries calling for an end to government control of the media were essentially letters to the editor. Large, mainstream media outlets might pretend that they are providing "community engagement", but their audiences are far too large and diverse to constitute discernable communities. Small-media journalists tend to be far more accessible to their small audiences, allowing them to deal personally and individually with submissions from their readers or listeners. In many ways, this book is also a forum, constructed from uncountable contributions from the community of letter-writers and comment editors, past through present. Many news outlets created special positions to handle feedback starting in the mid-20th century, first "etters-to-the-editor editors" and, eventually, "community engagement editors", who deal with all manner of feedback today.
