Jun 3, 2002 3 min read

Ever hear people complain that the local media is controlled by powerful politicians in Harrisburg? Or, those who say the newspaper is loath to criticize or expose certain issues because the editors are intimidated or influenced by those in high positions?

Or, how about our favorite myth, that the newspaper’s support or opposition to a local issue can either guarantee success or mean certain death through the awesome power of the press to mold public opinion?

The next time you hear such comments refer the person to the May 22 edition of the Herald-Standard for the results of the primary election.

The Herald-Standard Editorial Board endorsed four candidates, one for Congress, one for governor, and two for state representative. The scorecard: Voters, 4; Herald-Standard, 0.

Now, depending on your point of view, this can be a good or bad thing. If you are one of the winning candidates, the outcome of the election is definitely a good thing. If you don’t want some know-it-all media person telling you whom you should vote for, it’s a good thing.

It’s not so good if you are one of the candidates who lost. Having the newspaper’s editorial board support obviously didn’t result in a landslide win.

So much for the fabled, and mythical, power of the press. We weren’t really surprised by the election results.

No one has bothered to keep a scorecard for a tally of the winners and losers in recent years. But, as some political observers have noted, an endorsement by the Herald-Standard Editorial Board can be the kiss of death for a candidate.

Candidates sometimes attempt to persuade voters that a newspaper’s endorsement of their opponent is a personal vendetta. This strategy is used when the candidate cannot justify his or her position on an issue with facts.

An accurate assessment of the win/loss record is a little more complicated. If the public has a reason, which the voters consider important, to oust an incumbent officeholder, they will do so, with or without any recommendation from a newspaper.

Jurors, voters and felines are the most independent, free-willed creatures on the planet. This is as it should be.

Now that this election is behind us, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on the role of the news media. We push hard for an open, honest government. Without an open government, abuses of public money can and do occur. Secrecy promotes corruption.

Newspapers distribute information, sometimes positive, sometimes negative, prior to all elections. After the ink is dry on the page, it’s up to the voters to decide.

We are not in any politician’s or political party’s back pocket.

We value our independence, and we take our responsibility to keep the public informed of government operations very seriously. For us, there is no other way.

That, too, is as it should be.