Voter's Choice

   Is there no end to the silliness?
   With less than a month to go before Election Day, it's long past time news media focused more on something other than who slept with whom, when, where and why, and devoted some time to some serious stuff like experience versus popularity, or competence versus likeability.
    Realistically, however, that's not likely to happen, since extramarital antics are too juicy to be ignored, even by the so-called mainstream media. At the same time, the choice of whom to pick as President of the United States is the most important topic voters face. Maybe it's fortunate that this comes only once every four years. Otherwise, we'd be facing a continual gossip show, with little regard for real-world important stuff like international relations, unemployment, crime, housing, or the general state of the nation's economy.
   But covering business and economics is dull, many reporters say. This other stuff is far more interesting, juicy and easier to cover.
   And they're right. Gossip is easier to cover. But the reason economics and business stories are dull is not that the subjects are dull in themselves. Rather, the reporters and writers are too often guilty of dull writing.
   Not that the misbehavior of a recalcitrant bully who wants to be President is unimportant. It is, because it reflects a pattern of behavior going back to teenage years, and would very likely continue if that person occupies the Oval Office.
   Nevertheless, the news media have a duty to report the entire story, not just the juicy, gossipy parts more suited to a reality TV show than to a presidential election.
   So is there a misplaced emphasis? Which should the news media cover, the recent and current activities of this year's candidate, or the extramarital, albeit consensual, activates of a former President 20 years ago?
   One key issue is whether the fun and games were consensual, or were forced on unwilling women. And if these character traits show a pattern of behavior that could influence the decision-making process of whoever occupies the Presidency, it is indeed journalism's duty to report that as a matter of public interest.
   And that is the core of the New York Times' response to a threat of a libel suit. It is not only whether the accusations of unwanted sexual actions are true, and if true are not libelous, but largely that the stories come under the protection of the First Amendment guarantee of a free press, and its duty to report matters of public interest.
   Certainly there are other stories of major public interest during an election year, such as economics, international relations, employment and immigration, among others. All of these must also be covered by responsible journalists, and they have a duty to make them readable.
   The stories become dull only if the writer makes them dull. They may well be more difficult to write about than gossip over who slept with whom, when and where, but therein lies the challenge.
   At the same time, voters have a responsibility to pay attention to these important matters, and not succumb to the sleazy attractiveness of gossip.