In response to your spread “Grassroots Politics” (2/1/08), the lack of objectivity and balance in the center spread regarding the presidential election reveals bias and poor journalism standards, reflecting badly on our school and on the student newspaper.

The article only contained scant mention of the Nebraska Republican primary on May 13 and included a sidebar with issue positions only for the Democratic nominees. I was also disappointed in the irrelevant and random facts in the “By the Numbers” section at the bottom of the page – which again, only highlighted information about the Democrats.

It may be news to The Creightonian, but there are two main political parties in the U.S. that both deserve coverage, and many current students and alumni have worked long hours on Republican campaigns, with some alumni even serving in prominent positions on the staff of Giuliani, Romney and McCain.

The section’s writers also gave away their bias when choosing which issues to cover on the candidate sidebar, referring to gay marriage and civil unions as “equal rights,” issues, which are disputed by many, especially the 41 states that have passed laws against gay marriage and the citizens of the 27 states who have passed referendums to amend their constitutions to protect marriage.

However, the bias on the issues and the political spread heavily skewed in favor of the Democrats does not surprise me since one of the spread’s authors, Mr. Gibilisco, also wrote the scathing and intolerant anti-military article in the opinion section.

Trust and confidence in public institutions such as the media are at an all-time low due to unbalanced, biased articles such as this one. I would hope, in the future, that The Creightonian will act with more caution and objectivity in its news reporting and choice of coverage. As a former newspaper editor and current freelancer myself, I am saddened, but not shocked, by the overt and unapologetic bias of The Creightonian.

Brandon Kenig, Arts & Sciences senior