Festival coverage was too negative

To the editor:

The Oct. 6 column by Matt Sanders regarding the City of Roses Music Festival was so negative and one-sided that it has taken this long for my anger to subside enough to write. Last year's coverage of this event was much more journalistic than Sander's mockery of things he obviously doesn't understand. Other recent stories also seem to be more opinions and hearsay than facts.

I would encourage the editorial staff of this paper to be more methodical and focused in their reviews before publishing. Such lack of community conscience is clearly the reason the City of Roses Music Festival (and other community efforts) has had trouble. Many want to sit back and criticize, but few reach out to help. Consider the effect of such publicity on future events.

FARA McSPADDEN, Cape Girardeau