According to Documents Obtained

There are few things Picon enjoys more than local television's favorite investigative phrase:

"According to documents obtained..."

Music to our ears.

Last week, Ask Joe highlighted attorney Lance White, a candidate for Family Court Department 13, after disciplinary action by the State Bar became public.

The story reported what happened.

The problem is what didn't happen.

Picon suffers from a terrible condition known as historical memory. We realize this can be inconvenient in modern journalism, where stories often begin last Tuesday and end at the six o'clock news.

But when someone runs for judge, shouldn't voters receive the entire résumé and not simply the latest chapter?

Lance White is not exactly a political newcomer.

This is not his first judicial campaign.

He's used a platform for fathers' rights issues and men's advocacy circles as he previously sought judicial office. Those campaigns, positions, and public statements are all part of the record.

Likewise, questions surrounding his prior service as a court master have existed for years. Voters may reasonably ask what happened, when it happened, and whether those events have relevance today. They do.

Instead, viewers received what Picon likes to call "breaking news journalism" — the journalistic equivalent of walking into a movie during the final twenty minutes and assuming you know the entire plot.

To be fair, Joe Hart reported information contained in public disciplinary records, and that's certainly newsworthy.

But if the assignment is "Tell us who this candidate is," then perhaps the story should include:

• Previous judicial campaigns.

• Prior professional positions.

• Earlier controversies or disputes.

• Public advocacy work.

• Statements made during prior campaigns.

• The complete political history.

Otherwise, voters are left believing that a candidate suddenly appeared last week carrying a campaign sign and a biography.

Picon recognizes that television news has time limits. But reporting on only the low hanging fruit. Come on.

But if we're discussing candidates for the bench — individuals who may make decisions affecting families, children, and litigants for years — perhaps the public deserves more than a quick drive-by.

The irony is that local journalism often criticizes politicians for lacking transparency while journalism itself sometimes develops a severe allergy to archives.

The internet exists.

Campaign filings exist.

Old stories exist.

Past elections exist.

And unfortunately for politicians and candidates, Picon exists.

Perhaps what we need isn't Ask Joe.

Perhaps we need Ask What Happened Before.

Because sometimes the most important story isn't what happened yesterday.

It's what happened five years ago.

And whether anybody bothered to look.