The Blog Formerly Known As Vote '08

Above: in Tacoma, Washington.

Today’s episode: Much more on that Florida TV anchor’s “hard-hitting” interview that left the candidate flustered.

Plenty more criticism (for both Biden & the anchor) of the now-infamous WFTV interview.

Read more here, here, here, here, & here. (which links are which? sorry - you’ll have to click on them all to find out. Remember, one of this blog’s missions is to get you to expand your media diet).

This certainly has become an “bias is in the eye of the beholder” moment.

Those on the right would like to paint this as Biden’s “Katie Couric” moment. My opinion: I don’t think so. It’s not like she ’stumped’ him.

The interviewer’s critics say she’s just “regurgitating Fox News talking points.” That could be correct - but she certainly has a 1st Amendment right to ask whatever she wants.

Would an interview go this way with any candidate on any side with an anchor or reporter here at NewsChannel 9? I won’t presume to speak for any of them. Like all of you, they each have their own views on politics, but all of them (admirably, I think) take great pains to be fair to all of our viewers. This business, if nothing else, teaches you to recognize & respect the diversity of opinions & outlooks out there. I will say I do know NewsChannel9’s anchors & reporters well enough to say each of them would be “tough but fair.”

To do otherwise (essentially shutting oneself off from a huge chunk of your desired audience) is nothing but self-defeating.

So is the woman above ‘tough?’ Yes.

But is she being ‘fair?’ Not to at least half her audience.

What do you think?

UPDATE: It’s been revealed that the anchor’s husband is a media consultant from the GOP. That, in my opinion, makes this far more distasteful.

UPDATE #2: I’ve asked my colleagues for comment on this story.

Melydia Clewell, our assignment editor, says:

“I do believe our staff does a great job trying to remain objective, fair and balanced. That said, reporters have actually asked to be un-assigned stories related to GOP/Dem candidates because they don’t believe they can keep their personal viewpoint from affecting the outcome of their reporting. At least they are aware of their biases, but I do hate that we have some folks who admittedly can not escape a partisan mindset.”

Tom Henderson, NewsChannel 9’s News Director (& my boss) says:

“NewsChannel 9’s journalists and manager-journalists rely on the Society of
Professional Journalists code of ethics for guidance in matters like this.
Here are a few of the directives the SPJ code gives to reporters:

— Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others

— Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity
or damage credibility.

— Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

— Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist
their pressure to influence news coverage.

Ultimately it is up to viewers and website users to judge the credibility
of reporters and the newsrooms in which they work. NewsChannel 9 welcomes
scrutiny of our practices and methods. We are not perfect, but we do
strive to stay within the bounds of the SPJ code while going the exra mile
so that consumers of our news are more informed and better prepared.

You can read the entire code here: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Tom Henderson
News Director
WTVC and newschannel9.com”

John Creel, WTVC Operations Engineer, says:

Because of her husbands job I’m less enthusiastic/impressed/ect. about her Q&A.
She could have been spouting off RNC talking points she didn’t develop on her own.
The questions however are still valid.  Someone should be asking those questions!

Fairness is like the feet of a drunk man, taking a field sobriety test, it varies
with the opinions of those percieving it.  It’s no longer the standard fromwhich we measure abnormalities or deviations.
ee cummings wrote a poem that applies.

“We sit around a ring and suppose

The secret sits in the middle and knows.”

Opinions have always surrounded the truth by hiding somewhere in the middle.

Indeed, John.

What do you think?

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