In a recent editorial, the Iowa State Daily announced that, in an effort to remain unbiased, it no longer endorses candidates.
“One always hears about how journalists should be unbiased in their reporting, and how news ought to be balanced, not favoring one alleged side of an issue or the other. This philosophical bias toward fairness causes a lot of angst against print media, such as ourselves, when it comes to politics.”
The editorial went on to talk about the history of newspapers, and how, unlike broadcast media, newspapers have no obligation to be unbiased because they are privately owned. The distinction is due to the fact that airwaves are public property. Over time, broadcast media ethics have spread to newspaper journalism. However, the editorial goes on to say that,
“While the greatest public duty for a newspaper may often include the inclusion of multiple political sides, newspapers still have no obligation to do so. Newspapers can take sides, and sometimes they should.” This year however, the Daily will endorse neither candidate.
“Barack Obama’s inexperience and naivete has lead to an ineffective presidency, and the Republican Party has failed to produce a qualified and competent alternative, choosing instead to select a nonpolitical, flip-flopping, quasi-liberal corporatist as their candidate. We cannot in good conscience ascribe to the modern philosophy of selecting the lesser of two evils, as this still constitutes to choosing evil. A better candidate is insufficient. We want a good one.”
BonaSwing 