Republicans ‘extremely unavailable’ as they seek to dodge scrutiny: Washington Post editorial board

Republican candidates are seeking to shut the press out of events and voters are the ultimate losers, according to a Washington Post editorial published online on Thursday.

"More often than before, newsworthy gatherings are not announced ahead of time, and reporters find out they occurred only when pictures get posted to social media or a news release is sent out later. For traditional outlets, interviews with many candidates have become harder to secure. Some campaigns don’t even return calls or emails," the editorial board wrote. "These trends don’t just hinder media coverage. They also insulate would-be leaders from tough questions and thorny issues. Mostly, they hurt voters by leaving them less informed."

The editorial noted the "worst offenders" come from the Republican Party's MAGA wing.

"Sarah Palin, a former governor and vice-presidential nominee, announced no public events in Alaska between a rally that former president Donald Trump headlined for her in Anchorage on July 9 and the special election that took place Tuesday," the editorial board noted. "In Pennsylvania, gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano’s campaign has physically barred reporters from entering events. Other candidates, such as Georgia U.S. Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, have also been extremely unavailable."

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The newspaper noted a shocking situation with Charlie Kirk's far-right Turning Point Action.

"On Friday, Mr. DeSantis is to travel to Ohio to stump with Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance," the editorial board reported. "The organizers of the event, a conservative nonprofit called Turning Point Action, are requiring that journalists applying for credentials agree to give organizers access to any footage they record and be willing to answer questions about how it will be used. Journalists who attend are restricted from recording speakers, staff and attendees who do not wish to be filmed and from going into certain areas of the event. They also are barred from recording anything displayed on projection screens."

The editorial noted "understandable outrage" from Ohio television stations.

"Media organizations record these events for the benefit of voters, as well as for history. They should be allowed to do their jobs unencumbered," the editorial urged.

Read the full editorial.