How we approach elections at the Athens County Independent

For what seems like forever, we’ve been drowning in news about the Nov. 5 general election. But so much of that coverage is horse-race journalism: Who’s ahead in the polls, who’s falling, how this or that incumbent is vulnerable and how their winning or losing would affect this or that bloc’s political power, yada yada yada. 

That approach robs us of the information we need to decide if a particular individual should get our vote. (You might call it horse💩!) And it’s not how we do things at the Independent. We’re on a mission to empower community engagement, including participating in democracy. Here’s what you should know about us:

We don’t endorse. For one thing, we’re legally prohibited from doing so. But also, we don’t think it’s our job to tell you how to vote. We write about local government and highlight news from other outlets so you can see what your elected officials are up to. We give you the information; what you do with it is up to you. 

We accept political advertising… Advertising and sponsorship help to make our work possible, but it’s not pay-to-play. Advertisers don’t get special treatment and they have absolutely no say in our reporting. Running an ad from a candidate doesn’t mean we endorse them — it just means that we cashed the check! 😉

…but not donations. We do not accept donations from elected officials or political candidates above $500 per year. Look, if a village mayor or township trustee wants to support the Independent as a member, we’re not going to question their motives … until we get into the big bucks.  

We focus on how the election will affect you. We sent candidates for local, state and federal offices a questionnaire asking for their plans to address issues that actually matter to Athens County residents — including questions you submitted! We’ll share their answers in our upcoming digital voter guide. (Meanwhile, you can find all our coverage of this election cycle here.)

Watch our website for stories and information about elections in general as well. What does the board of elections do? What’s it like to be a poll worker? How can I find out if I’m registered to vote? We’ll answer those questions and more.

We’re listening. What do you want to know — about the candidates, the voting process, whatever? Drop us a line at info@athensindependent.com and we’ll do our best to find out for you. 

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.