Politics can often bring out the nasty in one’s personality. There is little that can inspire more fire within one’s self than politics or religion. They are part of the core of a person. Although many will argue bitterly, the truth is you are unlikely to change another’s firm beliefs on a matter.

For journalists, it can often be tightrope to walk: To not let one’s personal opinions cloud the subject they are writing about.

My grandfather wrote political columns for years for the Spokesman Review. Although he passed away before I was interested in journalism and could question him about it, I always remember my mom saying how in all his years writing political columns, no one ever really knew if he was Republican or Democrat.

As the political season winds up, it’s important to remember that journalists — real journalists — need to keep their personal agendas out of the newspaper.

The opinion section is the place for a more personal side of a journalist to come through. However, inserting snide comments to only one candidate in a “question and answer” write up is unprofessional at best.

To have such blatant bias put forth in a newspaper takes away the credibility of that paper.

The role of a paper is to be a watchdog that puts forth the facts so readers can decide — not shove bias down the reader’s throat.

Even when writing candidate endorsements or interviews, a newspaper owes it to the reader to remain objective.

That was not the case in the latest issue of the Federal Way News, in which former school board member Charles Hoff interviewed candidates Bill Pirkle and Ed Barney. For each of Barney’s answers, Hoff added his own comments in parentheses.

So this week, it’s jeers to the Federal Way News and Charles Hoff for their blatant disregard for professional and objective journalism.