Located in Stamford, Connecticut, the Advocate is a seven-day daily newspaper that circulates throughout the city of Stamford and nearby southwestern Connecticut towns of Darien and New Canaan. Its editorial staff focuses on local news and sports and also pays special attention to the workings of the Metro-North Railroad, since many commuters in those towns use that service. The Advocate shares its editor and publisher with a sister paper, the Greenwich Time. The two papers were sold to Hearst Communications in November 2007.
In 1829, the paper’s publisher, George Holly, began publishing it under the name of “The Stamford Advocate”. From the beginning, the paper was an abolitionist publication. It urged its readers to support the AFL and to reject appeals from populist parties that promised to protect the interests of the laboring classes. Its editorial page was frequently dominated by Samuel Gompers, who admonished the union movement not to establish a separate party but to support politicians of any party that supported their interests.
The paper grew in circulation Stamford Advocate and in 1861 was converted from a weekly to a daily edition. Around the turn of the century, the Gillespie family took over ownership of the newspaper. In 1977, the Advocate was purchased by Times Mirror Company, owner of The Los Angeles Times, and moved to its current location at Tresser Boulevard and Washington Avenue in downtown Stamford. The newspaper changed its name again in 2000, when Tribune Company bought Times Mirror and incorporated the Advocate into its holdings.
AllSides’ Media Bias Rating for this publication is Center. Sources with a Media Bias Rating of Center do not show much predictable media bias and display a balance of articles with left and right perspectives. This does not imply that they are totally unbiased or neutral, nor that they are completely fair, reasonable, or credible.
Bringing an advocate with you to a doctor’s visit can be helpful because it provides another set of ears and makes sure that the physician hears all of your concerns. Choose someone you trust to be discreet and caring, and give him or her access to your electronic medical record so he or she can see test results and notes from your doctor’s visits.
The role of the advocate is often described as being essential for patients with complex or serious health problems. However, it is unclear whether it should be considered an integral part of the professional duties of nurses or doctors, or if it is a supererogatory undertaking for which no preparation or training is provided. It may be necessary to develop clear guidelines about what is and is not acceptable for an advocate. This should include whether it is appropriate to advocate for a particular decision that may involve the compromise of professional or personal beliefs and values, and it is essential to clarify the role in cases where patients are unable to advocate for themselves.