I wrote my first news story 52 years ago last week for my college paper. That year and every year since, I was taught, reminded, practiced and adhered to Associated Press style and always identified elected officials by their political party.
Put a D after their name, or an R. It was automatic, a blank space that reporters had to fill in. An elected official's name without a party affiliation was incomplete.
It was as if the party initial told readers all they needed to know, and our reporting was done.
Well, that's not the style any more in the Wrangell Sentinel.
I've thought about this since taking ownership of the Sentinel in January, deliberating about the D or R after names in the context of the polarized, divisive, accusatory, hyper-partisan national mess that has infected our country. Alaska, too.
What do the initials tell readers? Is a Donald Trump R the same as a John McCain R? Do all Rs have the same values and beliefs? Are all D's socialists, as some R's dishonestly proclaim? Are all the R's climate change-deniers as some D's unfairly allege?
I've decided the party label isn't what counts; it's what elected officials say or do that will tell readers where they stand on the issues. Judge elected officials and candidates by their actions, not solely by some bozo 3,000 miles away who happens to belong to the same political party.
Which means that unless it is relevant, the Sentinel is not going to identify elected officials by their party in our news coverage.
The simple explanation is that the Sentinel is not going to accept such a simplistic answer to telling the story. The paper will tell you where officials stand on the issue reported in the news story. We'll tell you if they support increased school funding, easier access to voting, large Permanent Fund dividends at the expense of community services, or improved mental health services.
Based on the issues, decide if you will vote for them again, make a campaign donation, put a sign in your yard - or send them an email objecting to their position. But make those decisions on the merits, not on an emotional, knee-jerk, one-size-fits-all reaction to a D or an R after their name.
Besides, there is a growing number of elected officials in Alaska who are neither a Democrat nor a Republican. They run for office and serve as an independent. Yes, they may join a coalition with D's or R's, but that doesn't mean they should be branded with the hot poker of a partisan label on their backside.
The Sentinel will include the party label when it is part of the news story, such as efforts nationwide by Republican legislators to limit access to early and absentee voting, efforts that are embraced and promoted by the national party.
Or when Alaska lawmakers are part of a nationwide Democratic Party agenda to reduce college debt or expand access to voting.
Judge elected officials by their actions, what they stand for and how they vote. Get past the D and the R and think about values and communities and what you want for this country and state. The Sentinel wants to help.
Labels belong on food packages, not politics.
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