Palin Questions Journalistic Ethics In Her Interviews

October 1, 2008 11:52 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin leveled several criticisms at the media on Tuesday, saying she has had to endure a lot of "mocking" from the media about her personal faith and her being a "normal Joe six-pack American."

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Palin was asked why she thinks her candidacy has ignited strong reactions from the media and critics. She responded, "Oh, I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying you know what? It's time that normal Joe six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency, and I think that that's kind of taken some people off guard, and they're out of sorts."

The first-term governor, who is in Arizona preparing for her Thursday debate with Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), added that "so much has changed since I received my education in journalistic ethics all those years ago," but that she welcomes "pop quizzes" during interviews because they make one "more articulate in their positions.

"I think that there's a lot of mocking of my personal faith," she also said when asked if she thought the media and the left understood her religion. "My personal faith is very, very simple. I don't belong to any church. I do have a strong belief in God, and I believe that I'm a heck of a lot better off putting my life in God's hands, and saying hey, you know, guide me."

Despite her criticisms, Palin thinks the media hasn't been sexist in its coverage of her campaign.

The 44-year old Republican vice presidential candidate said of interview excerpts released by CBS on Tuesday that "there's some double-standards here... in terms of what the media has been doing, but... I think more attributable to just the media elite, the Washington elite, not knowing who I am and just asking a whole lot of questions and not so much based on gender though, but based on just the fact that I'm not part of the Washington herd."