(This is actually a big deal. The decline of the news media as a instrument to better inform the citizenry to make decisions that affect their lives is a serious topic that should concern all of us.

UPDATE: If the Merc won’t report, I will! Right now Kansen Chu is up 63-37… UPDATE II: Chu wins, and he was far and away the more progressive candidate. Chalk another one up. – promoted by dday)

There’s a special election today in San Jose, to fill the city council vacancy in Mayor Chuck Reed’s old seat.

But don’t expect the Merc to tell you about it.

Please look at this diary at dKos today, by SanJoseLady. I don’t mean to rip off her stuff, but I thought Calitics ought to see this.

As she says, today’s dead tree Merc doesn’t mention the election. Nor does their web site.  I went to the Registrar of Voters to confirm that my memory is correct and there is an election.

What’s up with this? IMO, they’re trying to influence the election by not covering it. I’ve felt the Merc has been moving right under its new owners, most especially it has become strongly anti-labor. The anti-union bias on the editorial page has gotten stronger, and the bias is clearly visible in news stories and columns also. I think now, though they’re not crazy enough to endorse the grossly unqualified Repub, they’re trying to reduce the Democratic vote by ignoring the whole thing.