7/31/08

Our policy for political coverage, editorials

by Beckye Randall, Publisher and Editor

As a community newspaper, part of our purpose is to present information regarding issues that may appear on ballots. Our mission is to offer objective summaries that will help voters determine the value and risks associated with those issues.

However, we have determined that North County Outlook will not recommend passage or denial of ballot measures. Rather, by presenting an unbiased look at the pros and cons, costs and benefits, we hope readers will be better equipped to make their own decisions.

Candidates for local, regional and statewide political offices have also asked for the opportunity to submit opinion pieces. Again, we have respectfully declined to publish editorial pieces by candidates in an effort to maintain a neutral stance.

We realize that newspapers commonly express opinions regarding issues and candidates, and it’s a long-held and noble exercise. Our model is simply different. We’re not in business to change minds or sway opinions, but rather to provide information that will enhance our community’s livability.

With that said, North County Outlook is glad to accept and publish letters to the editor in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate or issue, based on established criteria for publication.

North County Outlook will not offer endorsements of candidates or issues, but will rather provide a balanced, objective overview of ballot measures. Partisan affiliation will not be a factor in the analysis of issues or candidates.

On a related note, voters should be aware that the upcoming primary ballot, due to be returned by August 19, is in a new format for our state. The 2004 passage of Initiative 872, which was upheld in a Supreme Court decision this spring, means voters can choose any candidate in any race, regardless of the candidates’ political party. Voters will no longer be required to declare a political affiliation in the primary and candidates simply state their party preference on the ballot, whether endorsed by those parties or not.

While this returns the state to a more open primary system, it may also mean that the top two candidates for a partisan position advancing to the fall election are from the same political party.

This experiment will bear watching.