The editorial board of the Des Moines Register debated their presidential endorsement for more than two hours—but they won’t tell you what was said.
After interviewing the two major presidential candidates, researching their stances on the issues, and having so-called “conversations with Iowans,” the five members of the editorial board (Editor Rick Green, Opinions Editor Randy Evans, editorial writers Andie Dominick and Rox Laird, and Publisher Laura Hollingsworth) met in order to discuss their endorsement. It was, the board claimed, “a vigorous and useful debate,” and surely an enlightening exchange of opinions.
Typically, these meetings are opportunities for the members of the board to ask each other questions, clarify differences of opinion, and examine the results of their exhaustive research on the candidates. While the board says that they ultimately reached a “consensus,” they were careful to specify that “an editorial board is not a democracy” and that “[a]s publisher, Hollingsworth in principle has the authority to dictate the paper’s positions on every issue…”
According to Michael Tomasky of the Daily Beast, their endorsement of Mitt Romney “has all the hallmarks of having been ordered by the publisher over the objections of the editorial board.” Whether this is true or not could easily be determined if the general public had access to the transcript of the editorial board’s debate. It is unfortunate that that did not happen.
The specifics of the board’s discussion will not be shared because it is off-the-record. No reason was given for the condition of keeping it private.
It’s important that I emphasize that the paper’s endorsement won’t be the only factor in my decision of whether or not to read the Des Moines Register in the future. That would be petty and ridiculous. Yet, it does speak to the transparency all of us should demand from the media. Our expectation should be that the reasoning behind one of the most important things a newspaper can say to its readers—who it endorses for president—deserves to be shared. It is unfortunate that did not happen.
Disclaimer: this piece is intended both as parody and as satire. Where I borrowed language used by the Des Moines Register, it is my understanding that it should be considered Fair Use.
References:
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/...
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/...