Chaim, see Daniel Feldman True Lies, False Facts for in-depth discussion of trade-offs of free media amd loshon horo. Free speech is a necessary part of democratic governance, people need to have as much info as possible about those they appoint. Where exactly the nation decided to draw the line is not that important – as long as the democratic process works. The hard part becomes when observant Jews are entering this process – do we use same tools or do we follow higher path? It seems t me that at least we should be better than others and try to be yashar. Take Joe Lieberman for example – he was a politician and some of his positions and statements could be viewed as artificial and self-serving. But he was viewed as a moral person.
