The Contra Costa Times interviewed Saint Mary's politics professor Ronald Ahnen in its coverage of a East Bay public forum on Propostion 34, the California ballot initiative that would replace the death penalty in California with life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

CBS-5/KPIX-TV reached out to Saint Mary's politics professor Steve Sloane for a story about an ethics complaint against Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. The complaint accused Parker, who is campaigning for re-election, of asking for donations by emailing city workers. Sloane, who is currently teaching a course on Elections and Voting Behavior, spoke with reporter Joe Vazquez about the impropriety of using public infrastructures, such as email, for personal political gain. He also acknowledged the practice, unfortunately, is commonplace in today's election climate.

Saint Mary's Dean of the School of Liberal Arts Dean Steve Woolpert appeared on the Aug. 5, 2012 CBS-5/KPIX-TV Sunday Morning News program to discuss the issue of voters trusting state government after revelations that park administrators held a surplus of $54 million in departmental dollars while at the same time threatening to close parks across the state. Watch the CBS-5 interview with Steve Woolpert.