PressEthic

Different people feel differently about Christmas and the holiday season. I happen to love Christmas. I love everything about it, except for the fact it seems to start in August. Other people may love it more or absolutely hate it. Some people don’t celebrate it, don’t care about it, are oblivious to it. But I whatever people feel about Christmas, it’s hard to tell unless you ask them. Isn’t that the first rule or journalism? Never assume anything?

That’s why this article surprised me. It’s about how President Bush must absolutely hate Christmas because he has to host 26 parties. And here’s the thing that really surprised me – there was no quote in the article from the president or anyone close to him about how he or any of his family feel about Christmas.

I have to admit, the way the reporter describes the parties and everything that has to be done, I can see how it would get a bit tedious. But what really came through isn’t that the president hates Christmas – it was that the reporter doesn’t necessarily like Christmas all that much, and assumed that the president would feel that way because he has to host 26 parties. Maybe the president is a party animal. Maybe the more parties he hosts, the more he loves Christmas. Maybe he’s Scrooge’s half-brother. We don’t know that, because the reporter didn’t ask him.

Here’s the question – Why not ask? It’s a simple question. Mr. President, do you enjoy Christmas, despite all the parties and events that you need to host and attend during the season? Do you enjoy the parties and events?

Why assume?