When are family members fair game?

According to the Pioneer Press, Pat Kessler, and most others in the media, in every imaginable circumstance.

In my opinion the only time they are actually fair game is when they are under 18 and commit an uncommon crime. Even then they should go unnamed. Knowing Rod Grams child was out of control was important information, knowing Morgan Grams was out of control was not.

I love the idea that because someone appears in a campaign commercial they are fair game. The explanation that they have to examine the credibility of those who say good things about candidates doesn't fly here. Isn't the fact someone is a child of a candidate reason enough not to care to much what they say? Peter Hutchinson’s daughters support Peter Hutchinson, Mark Kennedy's kids support Mark Kennedy, Robert Fitzgerald's mom supports Robert Fitzgerald, if it was any other way that would be a meaningful story. We need to select our politicians based on the quality of candidate and person they are not on what their parents do, or what minor infraction their adult children got caught doing.

In concluding the article justifying the medias sick fascination with the problems of politicians family members, the Pioneer press took it upon themselves to not only chart all the cases in recent years where they created news about politicians family members, they also including photos. And they wonder why people have no respect for the media? These people can and were held accountable for their actions without the media's help. The media has next to no place in these situations.