From the publisher.

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.
• Position: Letter to the Editor

"The marketplace of ideas" and "the free, unlettered flow of information" are concepts that need to be taken seriously by all journalists--we certainly do here at USA TODAY magazine. Our pages are designed to serve as an open forum for any individual, group, concern, organization, etc. with a responsible opinion. We like to have experts in the field author our pieces, although that certainly is not a prerequisite for earning space in this publication. Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that we have no political bent. The personal opinions and political, scientific, and religious inclinations of the staff, editorial board, and trustees, as well as the publisher in no way serve as an indicator or censor with regard to what appears in our pages. That last point cannot be emphasized enough. If someone has something to say, we want you, the reader, to hear it and decide for yourself as to its interest and worth. That being said, we still have a responsibility--indeed, a grave one--to assure the validity of any article that goes to press. Controversy is one thing; unsubstantiated facts are another.

Our lead piece in the November 2004 issue, in the National Affairs section, was titled, "The President and the Terrorist: Does George W. Bush Have Business Ties to Osama bin Laden?" It was submitted by Marc Umile, a documentary filmmaker who recently authored the book, Bush Unplugged! The True Patriot's Guide to George W. Bush. The ensuing furor after the article appeared was almost immediate. Two entities that felt particularly disparaged by Mr. Umile's article, and who contacted us to express their outrage and displeasure, were The Carlyle Group and Mr. Khalid Bin Mahfouz. We certainly are not strangers to this type of reaction. When printing opinion pieces that involve business and politics, it is not unusual for feelings to run high--and, in this case, justifiably so. Since the creation of USA TODAY more than 25 years ago, our solution to such situations has remained steadfast. The offended parties should state their case in an article of their own or with a Letter to the Editor. Again, the concept of an open forum serves as our guiding force. The Carlyle Group opted to pen a detailed piece to dispel what they feel are the many myths circulated in the media about their company--and a well-written and fascinating story it is, appearing on page 22 of this issue. Mr. Bin Mahfouz, on the other hand, had his counsel send us an impassioned letter...