Patrick McCormick

Patrick McCormick is a professor of ethics at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. In the following viewpoint, he argues that the mass media has spent an inordinate amount of attention on political sex scandals to the exclusion of other important issues. The reason, he surmises, has less to do with informing the public of the importance of character in politics and more to do with attracting audiences and generating profits. While certain sex scandals should be exposed—especially those dealing with sexual harassment, rape, or abuse of power—the private sexual indiscretions of consenting adults should not be the central focus of investigative journalism or public debate, he contends.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How is the nation's fixation on President Clinton's...