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Show Political ads need to inform instead of entertain the public Remember political advertising in local newspapers? Ten years ago you could hardly find the news for all the candidate endorsements covering page after page. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming. While most newspaper readers were always glad when election day passed and the newspaper returned to normal, they were also grateful for the information newspaper advertising supplied. After reading the scores of ads, they felt they knew enough about the candidates' background and their stands on the issues to make intelligent decisions. But not so any more. Candidates don't schedule much newspaper advertising these days. Oh, the local candidates do those running for county sheriff or state legislature. But you won't find much this year from those seeking your vote for the U.S. Senate or Congress. And this criticism is not sour grapes on our part because the advertising dollars are not coming in from these candidates. Instead, this criticism is aimed at the perception candidates are trying to give to the voters through television and radio. This is no accident. It's part of a new election strategy on the part of so called "political experts." Facts and issues have been replaced with smiles and fluff. Thirty-second television commercials showing candidates feeding popcorn to their dogs and climbing mountains hope to woo our support without ever offering the viewer any food for thought. This year they're betting millions of campaign dollars that you're too busy, lazy or stupid to notice. Using television, they hope that a handsome smile will be their ticket to an all expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., on your tax dollars. We know we're prejudiced, but we also think it's a darn shame. A half minute of television nonsense will never replace a well-written, fact-filled newspaper ad. Most experts agree that newspapers are the most respected vehicle for getting information in-formation to the public. We know the politicians haven't lost their respect for newspapers. They have lost their respect for the very citizens they seek to represent. Perhaps that is why average Americans now have only slightly more confidence in their elected officials than they do in used car salesmen. If you're listening candidates, and you should be, many taxpayers would appreciate a little less entertainment and a lot more solid communication. We might be forced to take a long, hard look at how you're spending your campaign dollars. This year we may just vote with more than our hearts. We may vote with our minds. |
