Op-Ed: Press needs more complete reporting

Democrats don’t wish to be stern or severe critics of The Press. Many of us read The Press regularly and like it. But we have a serious concern about the reporting in a few recent articles.

On Jan. 1, The Press published a front-page account of the Republicans’ plans for the 2021 Idaho legislative session. Republican officials recited a laundry list of their intentions, which mostly focused on crippling nonpartisan oversight of public health policies. The list was published uncritically and without context.

Many questions were left unanswered. What might the impact of these plans be? What alternatives are there? Does anyone else, like the governor or the leaders of Panhandle Health think the plans are good ideas? A reader could reasonably wonder if this article was anything more than an unpaid advertisement for the GOP.

On Jan. 6, The Press again gave the Republicans free and uncritical exposure. On the front page it was reported that a group of Idahoans protested the certification of the electoral college vote in the presidential election. There was no mention of the fact that election officials all across the country had already confirmed and reconfirmed the results, or that courts had repeatedly turned down challenges to the vote. Nor was it pointed out that overturning the presidential election would cast doubt on the results of every down ballot race, all won by Republicans. The story should have been that the protesters’ grievance about the election results was illegitimate.

Instead, the article featured nothing more than the protesters and their opinions. The president of Kootenai County Republican Women said illogically that our senators should “support President Donald Trump and support democracy.” A Rathdrum resident said without evidence, “Look it’s very obvious to us that Democrats stole the election…”

Rep. Russ Fulcher’s deceptive and unfounded assertion that there were “undeniable occurrences” of election fraud was not verified. And perhaps worst of all, Matt Shea was described only half-accurately as a “former Spokane Valley representative.” With just a few keystrokes on the computer, one learns that Shea was thrown out of the Republican caucus because his involvement with the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover was deemed a terrorist act. Couldn’t The Press have dug a little deeper?

A more complete story would have included follow up questions. How, for example is supporting democracy consistent with supporting a president who refuses to accept election results? What evidence exists to support the allegation of fraud in the vote counting? Most importantly, where did these protesters get the idea that the election was stolen in the first place?

Sourcing is important. Readers might have learned that this disinformation came from the White House, it was amplified by Fox News and other disreputable outlets, and that there was no evidence to support it whatsoever.

Spreading lies and disinformation were hallmarks of the Trump years. The myth of a stolen election is just one of many examples. Many people believed that myth; and unfortunately, some of them rioted inside the U.S. Capitol Building. By not questioning the myth that the election was stolen, The Press facilitated its further spread. Some would describe this kind of reporting as negligent or biased or even complicit.

Democrats realize that the Coeur d’Alene Press faces pressures, perhaps from the right wing and certainly from internet-based news sources. But Democrats expect reporters to seek the truth, and not just repeat talking points.

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Evan Koch is chair of the Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee.