Why doesn't the Reading Eagle write about politics in BERKS?

by Steve Reinbrecht

Reading Eagle reporter Karen Shuey wrote an 800-word front-page story that ran Monday about the upcoming state Senate race in Pennsylvania between Katie McGinty and Pat Toomey.

That’s bound to be an important race. But we can get that news and analysis from many sources.

And then we get almost a page’s worth again of state politics on Page B3, more political words – “10 takeaways from the Pennsylvania primary” -- from News Editor Ron Southwick, who provides insights such as this:

“The Reading Eagle interviewed voters at polling places across Berks County on Tuesday. They have different ideas about who would be best to lead the nation. But voters expressed a shared sense that things need to change.”

Instead of writing stuff we can read in many other places, why not write something valuable, that no one else knows? 

Why doesn’t the Eagle publish some big, long stories about politics in Berks?

Especially, why did no Democrats oppose any of the Republican state representative incumbents in this primary? There are more registered Democratic that Republican voters in Berks.

Some people are not happy with how our state government is working. But nobody ran against these incumbent Berks GOP state politicians:

David G. Argall

Barry J. Jozwiak

John C. Rafferty Jr.

Jerry Knowles

Mark Gillen

Jim Cox

David Maloney

Ryan E. Mackenzie

Gary Day

Of course, no one ran against the incumbent Democrats, either:

Judy Schwank

Tom Caltagirone

Mark Rozzi

Isn’t that a big story? That, on the state level, democracy has ceased in Berks County?

Maybe exploring this issue would demand original thinking and cultivating new sources. But it would be news worth reporting. News-gathering resources are too short these days to waste them following the herd.

I'd also be happy if I heard Harry Deitz say, just once, "You're right, Reinbrecht. We're just playing at being journalists, for the easy jobs and status, and because we do what we're told."