“Absence of accountability, leads to an absence of credibility,” said John Seigenthaler Thursday evening at the First Amendment Celebration hosted by St. Louis and Gateway Journalism Review supporters. Seigenthaler, a longtime advocate and activist for free speech, stressed the importance of traditional journalism values in the digital age.
Just a week after media gave prime coverage to the success of women during the general election and examined the power women have as voters, we see a backslide in how women are portrayed in media.
Despite the decline in the number of political endorsements made by Midwest newspapers, editorial editors still think the process is a civic duty. There is some disagreement, however, as to the influence of endorsements on voters.
In 2013 the women elected to office this week start their new terms. The year also will bring speculation on the fate of women and the Republican Party, as well as who might make a presidential run in 2016. Does the name Hillary Clinton sound familiar? In light of this, GJR is preparing an in-depth look at media coverage of women and politics for the Winter 2013 issue.
Editorial endorsements of political candidates are a rich and important tradition of U.S. newspapers. Though time-consuming and controversial, endorsements are an important part of the democratic process and civic duty of newspapers. However, waning circulation and cuts in editorial staffs at many newspapers have resulted in fewer editorial endorsements.