PressEthic

Saturday's New York Times ran a story, front page above the fold, about a Democratic challenger to a three-term incumbant Republican. The feature also utilized a compelling photograph of the candidate, walking alone across a parking lot, carrying one of his own campaign election signs.

There have been issues, most recently the scandal caused by former Congressman Mark Foley, and the subsequent and ongoing fallout affecting the Speaker of the House and any Republican incumbant. NPR pulled sound bytes from elections in various areas of the country to show how this issue is being used by challengers to portray Republicans, any Republican whether they knew Foley or not, as being complicit. Prior to this was the "Macacca" incident of Virginia Senator George Allen.

Medias fascination with the news of the moment can filter and portray potential leaders of our government in a light that does not extend any real information. Certainly the electorate would be better served by offering substantive ineterviews, profiles and issue-specific declataions from those running for office.

With the ease and accessibility of online formats it would be relatively easy to create and maintain these electronic profiles of candidates affecting the readership. Traffic could be driven to the site through print formats and equal platforms could be given to every candidate and the press could fulfill its part in creating a more equitable and pluralistic representative democracy.