Jennifer Bertetto: Why Trib Total Media is nixing negative political ads

A letter to readers from Jennifer Bertetto, president and CEO of Trib Total Media

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Like you, we’re sick and tired of political attack ads. So, we’re getting rid of them.

All Trib Total Media publications now have a new policy for political advertisements: They can be about the candidate, but not about the opponent.

First, this change is meant to better serve our readers. Candidates will seek votes by describing their virtues and explaining their platforms. The reader can decide if the pitch adds up — without being confused by claims and criticism about another candidate.

But, overall, this new policy is our response to political ads that coarsen and cheapen politics. We’re just one media outlet, serving a local audience in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Yet, as we act to create a more constructive setting for political advocacy, we also hope that other media consider a similar move.

It’s true that political campaigns, since the founding of America, have been rough and tumble. Voters expect a spirited debate and are not shocked by the occasional cheap shot. The practices in recent years, however, are reaching absurd levels of destructiveness. The worse it gets, the less chance that decent people will choose to run for political office, whether for school board or U.S. House of Representatives. At the same time, voters become more cynical.

The Trib’s news coverage won’t change. We will continue to address all aspects of political campaigns — good, bad and ugly — while emphasizing the information that citizens need to make up their own minds.

Our new policy does not hinder a candidate’s overall campaign. There are plenty of places to get the message out, from rallies and debates to the airwaves and the jungle of social media. Our model is designating a place for political advertising where candidates simply put forward their best selves.

Informed voters choosing political representatives are the bedrock of American democracy. We hope that this new policy, in our little corner of the nation, helps promote that ideal.