People often make the mistake of assuming that government control of the media consists solely of trying to censor the paper. It’s much more than that, and they often do it to the private media as well, and tribal governments aren’t the only one who engage in these tactics.

With what has happened with this year’s midterms, in Florida, in North Dakota, in Georgia, where issues of voter suppression, provisional ballots, recounts and the potential for runoffs, it should be that local elections are conducted in ways to instill faith in our democracy.

Without a press free from political influence, governmental transparency is hindered, and the people must rely on sources for information regarding their leadership that will be, many times, suspect or biased.