Holding the Media Accountable: COVER THE RACES!

I thought I should follow up on my thirst for knowledge and read some Boston Globe coverage of the 9th Congressional primary race between Dunkelbarger and Rep. Lynch.

Except, there wasn't any coverage... since December of last year. So, in disgust, I wrote the Boston Globe a Letter to the Editor, we'll see if it gets published.

Here was the content:

As a daily subscriber to the Boston Globe, I expect high quality election coverage. However, according to a search of the online Globe archives, the Boston Globe has only written three articles about Phil Dunkelbarger, the Democratic challenger to US Rep. Steve Lynch - and none since December of 2005.

With the primary only weeks away and many questions to be asked, I certainly hope the Globe will pay close attention to this race. After all, Rep. Lynch supports the Iraq war, has a poor record on women's choice and voted for the Patriot Act. The people of the 9th District, which includes parts of Boston, deserve all the facts.

I suggest we all look up local newspapers in the 9th District and see if they've been covering the election. It deserves to be covered; the issues at stake are large. If we can't find any articles, we need to be good consumers and complain. Write LTTEs like I did.

I'll be on the lookout for articles on the 9th seat and keep you all posted. My biggest issue is actual media coverage - even in little old Swampscott, when 10 + year State House vet Rep. Doug Petersen faced a primary challenger last time around, the tiny, weekly Swampscott Reporter had some decent coverage, especially coming up to the actual primary.

Did I mention Petersen had at least 60% of the vote, if not significantly more? It wasn't a close race, but at least there was coverage and a primary challenger got to have his voice heard (a challenger I didn't support at all).

PS: While I think the media should at the very least *cover* actual races, Unhappycamper has a few policy questions for Rep. Lynch I hope you all will read (like why he voted for that crazy Iraq war pre-election Republican pandering House resolution).

I'm beginning to think Massachusetts can do better, but I keep reminding myself 'this is not my district.' But if the Boston Globe isn't going to lay down the facts, at least I can try to do that much for my close neighbors in the 9th.