Indy loses its independence

Was a time when Chapel Hill and Orange County had a good selection of news providers to advise voters in the candidate selection process.

With the elimination of The Chapel Hill News and Chapel Hill Herald and the weakening of The Daily Tar Heel, the town has lost great resources. Now it appears that The Indy, which at one time was the go-to source for many voters who needed guidance, has slipped.

The weekly magazine used to approach its election coverage responsibly — it did its homework and used all its resources to study and give an in-depth look at each candidate. Not any more, though. These days the best advice voters can derive from The Indy’s endorsements is not to follow its advice.

As much as I like The Indy’s politics and progressive news reporting, I am frequently appalled at the lack of depth in its election endorsements. There doesn’t seem to be the least vetting of the candidates. And those running for office come to understand that they can be unqualified, incompetent or know-nothings and still get an endorsement from The Indy.

It has become very superficial, as if whoever checks the candidate backgrounds or policy just googles a candidate’s address and phone number but doesn’t look into voting records or triangulate the community’s takes on voting records or issues.

During recent election cycles, I’ve seen some downright careless endorsements — endorsements that left me shaking my head and wondering, Did they even take the time to go over that endorsee’s public record?

Take the latest elections in Orange County. In its endorsement of Mark Kleinschmidt for Orange County clerk of court, The Indy failed to mention that Kleinschmidt had violated campaign finance reporting laws and been fined $500 — the maximum — by the State Board of Elections.

While Kleinschmidt was executive director and chief financial officer of Fair Trial Initiative, the organization was repeatedly fined for late filings, operating without a license and failing to file a year’s worth of required financial and regulatory documents.

Kinda important info on a candidate’s ethics or organizational skills for a voter to know, wouldn’t you think? But in its endorsement The Indy seemed more concerned about extra paperwork for same-sex couples who wish to adopt rather than Kleinschmidt’s administrative failings.

Recent election results hurt all the more because I’ve watched the current Town Council work to clean up the mess made by Kleinschmidt and Sally Green. Now the county will have to endure the questionable talents of the newly elected candidates.

The Indy has evolved into the very opposite of what an organization that endorses candidates is supposed to do. At the CHN we asked every candidate to come in and have a chat with us. We also sent out questionnaires and published opinion columns and letters to the editor. That depth of sounding often gave voters much more upon which to base a vote than what the Indy now offers.

And as a former newspaperman, I know the many obstacles and distractions that go with a deadline, but enough is enough. Superficial and uninformed endorsements undermine good government and responsible candidates. It’s time for The Indy to either ramp up its endorsement game or stop issuing endorsements altogether. To do anything else is a disservice to the voters and the community.
— Don Evans