You can’t fool the readers.

Newspapers are the last line of defense in a world filled with prejudice and bias. Political endorsements have no place of any kind in a newspaper because they are a detriment to the very fabric that holds the media industry together.

I’m a junior majoring in journalism, and I know that I have to remain objective, no matter what the circumstance. I cannot be biased even against those who I have negative feelings for. While it’s great for newspapers to state the issues that matter to their readers, getting politically involved is dangerous business.

The question then becomes: Is this paper really writing legitimate news stories — or are they starting an ominous trend of editorializing? Giving away political endorsements sacrifices objectivity for opinion. It isn’t the newspaper’s job to make opinions; they are there to cover the hard stories that are relevant to their readers. We live in an era where information has never been more prevalent, and never have there been as many places to find it.

Here at Oakland University, the student congress elections are coming up, and again, it’s not The Post’s job to pick who would be able to serve best. That’s for the student body to decide. Stating the issues and printing the candidate’s solutions is one thing, but giving a seal of approval goes totally over the line. The newspaper can help the process much more by showing the student body what is at stake in this election and what each candidate’s platform is. Again, our job isn’t to alienate readers. Our job is to get them to come back each week and grab new people through our diligent reporting, and not by controversy or rhetoric (Unless it’s Dan Simons, then you get a free pass!).

With newspapers bleeding out from web and television outlets, it’s a bad time to piss the public off. People aren’t stupid. By opening the industry up for scrutiny, we kill the very industry we set out to protect. And besides, the reader ALWAYS knows best.