A long time ago The Congressional Report was the only news source on Virtual Congress. Only as the April election started did other news organizations appear and change the landscape. Within days Virtual Congress went from having a single newspaper to a handful, differing in style and presentation.

With a whole host of new journalists, news stopped being defined by one person, as 90% of TCR articles were written by just one reporter, myself. When I was the most prominent reporter, I took my responsibilities very seriously. I remained impartial during the February election and did not endorse anyone. During the March and April elections in which I was a candidate for President, I recused myself from all political journalism, even as it lead to a total lack of coverage for the former and a distinct one for the latter election cycle. After becoming President I gave my company into a blind trust and stepped back as Editor-in-Chief. All of these actions I took to prevent conflicts between my roles as a journalist and as a politician. The same cannot be said of others.

From writing articles about a candidate in a race you yourself are a candidate in to holding high office as well as an editorial board position or even owning a news organization outright, the standard of journalistic integrity has not been upheld. Readers should perhaps ask themselves if VC’s journalists shouldn’t be held to a higher standard. A single reporter is no longer setting the standards for journalism, but that doesn’t mean that journalists are absolved of responsibility. The forth estate plays an important role in a democratic society. Its purpose is to hold those in power accountable and keep the population informed. To have those in power coalesce with those holding powerful people accountable creates at the very least the appearance of a conflict of interest. Protecting the integrity of our journalists and our journalistic institutions should not be a favor given by the powerful. It should be a necessity demanded by the people.