Hypocrisy, cowards and journalistic ethics

Today's poll question: Is hypocrisy a prerequisite to work for The Post-Star or a consequence of it?

After presenting the national hypocrite of the week ‘award’ yesterday to the Bush administration, the local version goes to the Glens Falls daily.

Every day, the paper runs a column which takes cheap shots and makes snide observations. Of course, the so-called professionals are too pathetic to actually sign their name to these petty little comments so they hide behind the pseudonym ‘Don Coyote.’ It’s pretty lame to attack people from behind the veil of anonymity (even in this amateur blog, I use my real name), especially when the paper has plenty of space to run signed commentary by reporters, editors and guests. I may not like managing editor Ken Tingley’s burn-the-witches hysteria about teen drinking but at least I can respect the fact that he had the guts to sign his name and defend what he wrote.

Maybe they’re so busy working on tough front page stories like dogs jumping off a bridge in Scotland (Aug. 4) or on hard-hitting investigative pieces on big events like the return of ambulant beer vendors to the local hockey arena (Nov. 6), that they don’t have time to worry about trivialities like journalistic ethics or basic decency.

Yesterday, ‘Don Coyote’ took a cheap shot at former Glens Falls mayoral aspirant Esmond Lyons, who withdrew from the race last week and endorsed Conservative candidate Peter McDevitt.

‘Don Coyote’ sniffed: I’ll bet Bud [Taylor, the Republican candidate] and Roy [Akins, the Democrat] breathed a sigh of relief when Esmond announced his endorsement and it turned out not to be one of them.

This was on the very same editorial page that ran its customary ‘bravo’ to all those who are running as candidates in [today’s] election.

Many people talk about what’s wrong with government and how to improve, the paper wrote, but few are willing to put in the time and effort to actually step up and make things better. The citizens need good public servants. Those who aspire to this job deserve our praise…

Maybe the reason there are so few ‘good public servants’ who ‘put in the time and effort to actually step up’ is because while they’re putting forth a vision and standing behind their ideas, they face ridicule from cowards like ‘Don Coyote’ who are too gutless to stand behind theirs.