Political labels should be used fairly …

Frontiersman editorial board

It is never easy to admit a mistake. But once in a while even we journalists can come together and humbly acknowledge an error in our ways.

We recently received a letter from Willow resident Bill Yost, which appears in today's edition.

The reaction from everyone in the newsroom to his comments was similar -- "Ouch. That stings." It stings because he has a valid point.

In certain articles we have identified some as being members of the Republican Party, but haven't done the same for those who are active in the Democratic Party.

In our defense, even when we are aware of people's political leanings we don't always know who is chair of which party committee at that time. Often the information is presented by other sources, and we check for accuracy and use it.

However, the background on every individual isn't always included. We need to do a better job of gathering and using that information in an even-handed manner.

In his letter, Mr. Yost wonders if our inconsistent use of political labels is politically motivated. For good or bad, it is in our nature as journalists to eye those in power with skepticism, and without a doubt Republicans have steadily gained control of much of local government and public entities in the Mat-Su Valley in recent years.

But that does not mean we shouldn't use the same sort of scrutiny when writing about the less powerful groups that also influence our community.

We disagree with Mr. Yost on only one detail -- that this information is irrelevant. He argues that political labels are inappropriate and that we should only stick to the relevant facts.

Unfortunately, we believe political parties are increasingly playing a role in our community. From our co-ops to our cities and boroughs, we have found again and again that partisan politics are creating a not-so-under current in how decisions are made.

As we inform readers of these decisions, made with their money and affecting their lives, we feel we should also help them understand what other factors are at play. We just need to do it better and more consistently.