No place for campaign intimidation

A presidential election campaign in which seven ambitious people are slugging it out for a plum job was never going to remain a touchy-feely love fest.

What was not expected, however, was the apparent attempts by people in the camps of two of the candidates to intimidate journalists.

A journalist has described how a number of men tried to prevent him taking pictures of cars collecting Martin McGuinness's entourage from the Late Late Show studio.

Separately, Herald reporter Niall O'Connor experienced a heavy handed attempt by people in the David Norris campaign to stop him pursuing a legitimate line of questioning.

Neither of these episodes are acceptable. The position of President is enshrined in our Constitution -- as is the right to free speech enjoyed by, and jealously guarded, by the Press.

The people working on behalf of the would-be president would do well to remember that.