Like Mayor Huether, Gargoyle Leader Publisher Randell Beck just can’t stop beating a dead horse about the blogs on the internets (yes Randell I can read between the lines, too bad Dan Scott and Bill Janklow cannot). In his column this week he tells us why newspapers should be able to endorse politicians (instead of actually keeping an eye on them) And in an effort to drive his point home he had to take a swipe at the blogs, again;
The need for credible and meaningful information about government and our public officials, especially on the local front, is greater than it’s ever been. To prove the point, I suggest you list the sources of impartial news you used to learn about candidates in the recent city elections or this week’s state primary – and campaign commercials and ads don’t count.
See what I mean?
Oh, I know what a few of you are thinking – and a guy I respect a lot agrees with you.
Blogs are not impartial newsmakers, and we know it and unlike yourself, most of us make little to nothing to be public advocates. Just list the blogs in this state, and none of them claim or even act like they are impartial – that’s why we blog, we have our causes! Even the one about gardening has a liberal slant. It is your job as a ‘real’ news organization to be impartial, it is that whole ‘fourth estate’ thingy, and when you endorse a candidate (like blogs do) you are no different then we are, not impartial. I could go on a rant about being a for-profit newspaper makes the endorsement process a gigantic conflict of interest or that the 1st Amendment protects free speech (including bloggers) to say anything about a political candidate as long as it is not libelous and is opinion oriented. But I am sure you have heard it all before. Why not just take the advice of your big boss, who I could not agree with more;
“Enlightened newspaper editors and owners have come to understand that when they endorse a political candidate, their news coverage becomes suspect in the eyes of readers, even though most reporters are basically fair and accurate,” Neuharth wrote.
He is right – and it could not be any clearer with the Gargoyle Leader. I have often complained to the few reporters I can trust at your newspaper that the editorial board has a clear agenda for this city and state and it is no where inline with what the real citizens want or even need. You often endorse candidates who match your agenda, and that is unfortunate. Like I mentioned above, the job of a local newspaper is to inform and be the watchful eye of government (The fourth estate) not to agree or disagree with a certain politician or political agenda. Too often you let your ‘personal’ beliefs spill over on the pages of your newspaper and they really show in your endorsements.
I hate to break it to you Randell, but blogs are not going away, so you better just get used to them and go back to what you are good at, being impartial, let us present the endorsements.