Email frenzy clouds news

The economy is in tatters, the president’s highly touted economic advisers have deserted the ship, we are involved in a new war virtually every month – so on what do the New York Times and Washington Post focus with laser-like precision? Sarah Palin’s emails, of course!

With a precipitously declining readership, the desperation of both newspapers to buoy the spirits of their remaining, leftist-leaning customers and divert attention from a failed president is obvious. So is their abandonment of any semblance of journalistic ethics as they embark on a witch hunt they hope will yield something – anything – that amounts to a “gotcha.” In an egregious violation of journalistic standards, NYT readers are being solicited to assist in scrutinizing the emails, with a website helpfully provided for that purpose.

So far, disappointment has been palpable when the discovery of a tanning bed purchase for the governor’s mansion turned out to have been paid for with Sarah Palin’s own money.

Would that this kind of scrutiny had been applied to Obama’s background, political or otherwise, during his campaign – or, for that matter, to his performance in the Oval Office.

Anita Perry

Sandpoint