Media Networks Should Provide Fair Election Coverage for All Candidates

Desert Greens/Green Party of Utah
www.GPUT.org 
www.desertgreens.org

October 31, 2006

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- Candidates of Utah's third parties will hold a press conference and rally on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 5:00pm at 100 South 400 West, to advocate for fair election coverage by Utah's Media. The Desert Greens Party, Utah's affiliate of the Green Party of  the United States, is organizing the event.

?There are 44 state Green Parties and DC affiliated with the Green  Party of the United States, Utah being one of them. 31 of those states have ballot access,? states Deanna Taylor, Desert Greens candidate for Salt Lake County Council District. ?Nationwide 330 Green Party candidates are running in the November 7 election. Green candidates have already won 24 out of 62 races held so far in 2006 for a win rate of 39%. There are five Desert Greens candidates in Utah, one of them, Julian Hatch, running for U.S. Senate. We have been very disappointed that Utah coverage of our candidates, and all third party candidates, has been missing. Utah voters are being denied access to information about all candidates running for office. We would like the Utah media to provide fair coverage of all races as a service to Utah voters.

Shaun Knapp, Constitution Party candidate for Utah Representative, District 64: ?Utah Media is not giving people the facts. Scott Bradley, for example, a constitutional scholar, is running against Orrin Hatch and has not been given any coverage. Many other parties and candidates are being marginalized by this lack of coverage.

Personal Choice Party Candidate for House District 35 Ben Valdez states: ?It is the patriotic duty of all American citizens to be involved in the political process. We have a government that derives its power and authority from the governed. It is the job of us, the governed, to hold the feet of our elected public servants to the hot coals of the US Constitution.

I have no ethical objection to allocating political coverage in rough proportion to a political constituency's popular support. But strictly bipartisan election coverage and analysis that omits any mention of candidates nominated by non-incumbent parties -- essentially treating us as Orwellian "unpersons" -- violates journalistic ethics,? states Rob Latham, Libertarian Candidate for District Attorney.

Taylor adds, ?All of us paid the same filing fees as our opponents. We have complied with the same state laws by filing the paperwork required to get onto the ballot and for running a political campaign. We work hard to get out our messages. We are making a simple request of Utah media: Give voters ALL the information - cover our campaigns.

More info: desertgreens@desertgreens.org or gpu@gput.org