"News Outlets Weigh Pre-Election Coverage"

[GreenPartyVoter]

NEW YORK (AP) - It's a candidate's fear and a news executive's burden: an explosive story on the eve of an election that could tip the balance between victory and defeat for a candidate.

The reports about a missing cache of Iraqi explosives illustrated a debate unique to this time of year: Should there be any kind of "safe zone" right before an election or is that idea antithetical to what journalism is all about?

"I don't think there's a set formula that applies," said Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times. "I think you have to take it case by case."

The Times and CBS News received simultaneous tips about the Al-Qaqaa weapons stockpile and agreed to collaborate. "60 Minutes" was working toward Sunday's broadcast, but the Times was ready sooner and published the story Monday.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20041030/D8620R7O1.html

[charlyvi]

1. The idea that the public should not know information

that could help them decide for whom to vote is ridiculous. Dem or repub, if something has happened that displays bad judgement, error or unlawfulness on a political party or politician's part, the public has the right to know about it and use it to make an informed choice on election day. Once again, the media seems to think the American public is too stupid to exercise their common sense. UGH!

[patdem]

3. I agree totally...report NEWS (your job) investigate gossip (your job)

They are NOT equal!!! :grr: These people are too confused to be journalists! did I say :grr:?

[unblock]

4. it's not quite that simple

the fact is that people can plant LIES disguised as news stories when the media doesn't take, or have, the time necessary to properly get the complete story and verify it.

the media should not permit itself to be manipulated and should take cautions in that direction.

then again, this holds true at all times, not just the few days prior to an election. and since the media has permitted itself to be so manipulated as to turned itself into an organ of the republican party, why should these few days be any different?

[charlyvi]

5. If it hasn't yet been verified, then it's not news.

I'm talking about news--a story the media would go with ordinarily but choose not to because of an election.

[acmavm]

2. The media has only one responsibility, to report the news, to print the

facts. That is it. They are not now, nor have they ever been, the ones to decide whether or not the 'news' should or should not be reported just because an election is near. If they do, then they are not true journalists, they are censors. They don't have the right to decide what we should know, they have a duty to report the stories without spin and adding their own prejudices. We, at least I believe, are smart enough to decide what to do with the truth once we have the information.