{"slug": "letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest", "title": "Letters: Media should not portray election as a popularity contest", "summary": "A letter to the editor criticizes news media for reducing elections to popularity contests, urging newspapers to focus on candidates' histories, policies, and financial backers rather than polling numbers. The author argues that an uninformed electorate cannot vote responsibly and that horse-race coverage belongs in the sports section.", "body_md": "**Getting your**\n\n[Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...**Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.**\n\n#### Media must transcend electoral popularity push\n\nRe: “[Becerra leads big in early polling](https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/11/poll-republican-hilton-starts-runoff-for-california-governor-against-democrat-becerra-in-a-deep-hole/)” (Page A1, June 12).\n\nThe June 12th “news” article exemplifies and exacerbates the problem with our democracy. News organizations reduce the electoral choice to a popularity contest.\n\nThoughtful voters need to consider the candidates’ history — what public services have they done before running for this office? Voters need to know what policies they are proposing if elected. Voters should look at the candidates’ big financial supporters and high-profile endorsers. The candidates’ character and trustworthy honesty should be evaluated.\n\nNewspapers should provide this essential information, rather than focus simply on polling numbers. An uninformed electorate cannot vote responsibly in favor of its interests. Stories about the political horse race belong in the Sports section. Fill the News section with facts to inform voters in our democracy. The people’s choice must be based on more than popularity.\n\n**Bruce Joffe**\n\n*Piedmont*\n\n#### Board must embrace fiscal responsibility\n\nI am a lifelong Oakland educator, former school administrator and past school board director. Our district is again teetering on [financial collapse](https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/11/ousd-cuts-deficit-two-thirds-38-million-gap-remains/) — not because of partisanship, but because our school board has avoided hard choices for two decades.\n\nGov. Newsom’s proposal to centralize state education authority won’t save Oakland by itself. What will save us is local accountability. I call on our board and community to demand four things:\n\n• A binding, multiyear solvency plan with independent county review.\n\n• A public fiscal impact statement before every major board action.\n\n• A community-led audit committee with the power to hire outside auditors.\n\n• Board compensation tied to measurable fiscal outcomes.\n\nParents, taxpayers and board members should know that accountability is not political. It is the only path to trust and solvency. Our children cannot wait for another cycle of cuts and blame.\n\n**George Lerma**\n\n*Oakland*\n\n#### Keep our highways safe on Fourth of July\n\nAmerica’s rich history shines for its 250th birthday on July 4. Celebrations are happening all over America. For instance, there will be July 4 Fireworks at Pittsburg Marina.\n\nWhen I was 16 in 1992, my life changed when a drunken driver hit me. Freedom and driving laws are linked to ensure public safety.\n\nIn 2024, California made 1,336 DUI arrests during its Fourth of July law enforcement period. They made 1,311 DUI arrests during the same period in 2025.\n\nSober driving protects everyone’s freedom. There is no legal “freedom” to drive drunk. Don’t enjoy America’s 250th birthday behind bars, in the hospital or dead.\n\nIf you see someone driving erratically on any road, like Highway 4, notify law enforcement immediately. They will stop that driver.\n\nFollow laws to stay true to the country we call home.\n\n**Lori Martin**\n\n*Tracy*\n\n#### Trump’s indifference worsens climate change\n\nIn May, there were several deaths in France due to the extreme, record-breaking heat. Heat-related deaths in the United States are now the most common of all weather-related deaths.\n\nIt is clear that climate change is on steroids. Our current president does not care, nor does he understand science. He has reversed America’s energy policies and promoted oil and coal, which we know lead to the destruction of just about all living things and heat the planet. He has also shown he does not care about nature or animals.\n\nNow it appears humans can also be added to that list, as we can expect heat-related deaths to continue to escalate in the United States as well as globally.\n\n**Kit Miller**\n\n*Walnut Creek*\n\n#### Being up front about AI’s impact is good business\n\nRe: “[UN chief: Declare AI’s impact on environment](https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/23/climate-guterres-ai-impact/)” (Page C7, June 24).\n\nI would like to echo the argument made by the UN secretary general that AI companies should measure and disclose the impact of their increasingly in-demand technology. It is simply good business to do so, especially in light of the furor against the establishment of data centers by environmentalists.\n\nIn the meantime, we should all be careful when using AI. While I can understand the use of AI where it is necessary, too many people are employing AI just for the sake of convenience or simply because they think it is “cool” to do so. Unless we do our part in preserving our environment, we won’t be around to enjoy it for too long.\n\n**Myokyaw Myint**\n\n*San Jose*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest", "canonical_source": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/29/letters-media-shouldnt-portray-election-popularity-contest/", "published_at": "2026-06-29 23:30:47+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-29 23:50:27.648503+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["Bruce Joffe", "Piedmont", "Oakland", "George Lerma", "Lori Martin", "Tracy", "Newsom", "Trump"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-media-should-not-portray-election-as-a-popularity-contest.jsonld"}}