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Free Press?“It will be a cold day in Death Valley before I ever allow an elected official to tell me what to put in the paper.”
—Jay Evensen, editorial page editor, The Deseret Morning News
(quoted in Paul Rolly column, Salt Lake Tribune, 8/31/08. See column here.)
Pease’s Soapbox:
The Back Story: Evensen’s comment comes as members of the Utah Legislature have launched attacks in the blogosphere on DNews political editor Bob Bernick over a story that said the Senate leadership was considering making it harder for Utah citizens to get initiatives on the state ballot.
This has been a hot issue since a citizen-sponsored initiative on last year’s ballot rejected a law passed by the Lege giving tuition tax credits to parents with kids in private schools. The Senate president and majority leader, who Bernick wrote were thinking about toughening the intiative process for citizens during a DNews editorial board meeting, denied it, and said the story got their position wrong. Then legislators started called Bernick “a liar” (among other epithets), and calling for his firing.
This is extreme, even in heavily top-down Utah, especially considering the target is the LDS Church-owned DNews, which is generally on-board with the Utah power structure.
Also unusual is that Evensen’s rebellious and First Amendment-inspired statement above comes as the kicker in a Sunday column by political columnist Paul Rolly in the competing Tribune (“Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871”). In solidarity, Rolly writes:
“Elected government officials and members of the news media often are engaged in a strange, sometimes awkward dance in which each partner tries to lead without stepping too hard on the other’s toes.
Media types view themselves as public watchdogs, with a responsibility to scrutinize government officials, the motives behind their decisions and the impacts they may have on their constituents. For their part, politicians often claim that reporters have agendas and biases of their own.
But a phenomenon that is unprecedented in my experience as a Utah journalist has emerged over the past two weeks that seems, in at least one case, to raise the stakes in the relationship between the news media and members of the Legislature. Several lawmakers have posted blogs accusing a major newspaper of lying and, in so many words, calling for a reporter's head.”
And there’s a pretty good WORD in there, too.
Agree? Disagree? Have a different bone to pick? Click on the Comment link below.
Alert WORDster Brian Hughes writes:
ReplyDeleteBy saying "Death Valley" Jay is leaving open the chance he will allow a politician to control what he publishes. With strange global weather patterns we certainly might see an actual "cold day in Death Valley." But if Jay's point was he will never ever allow a politician to determine what he publishes then Hell would have been a better word. Hell's climate, as far as we know, is not determined by our ever-changing environment and by all accounts never gets cold. Poor Jay can't even express with clarity what he wants to say without fear the word police of Mormondom will come crashing down on him for using a world like HELL.
Now that is a hell of way to live!
Delightful, in a word! I like today's pick. I'll have to come back and write a thoughtful response after class because I've got to go. But suffice it at this time to say- I agree with the journalistic integrity and I can just imagine politicians and others in their attempt to orchestrate an article to their liking. Hire a Spin Doctor--they at least realize there's a living, breathing human generating those words in type!
ReplyDeleteI support the Deseret News and their reporters in this skirmish with the legislators. I must point out, however, if that's an exact quote (and Paul Rolly is a damn good reporter) then it's a terrible statement on a number of levels. When I worked for the Utah Department of Health, more than once I "told" Jay what to put in the paper. Granted, I wasn't an elected official but I certainly represented and served at the pleasure of the governor and despite the imbalance of political parties here, they still elect the governor. Further, the Deseret News is one of the few dailies I've ever heard of that prints VERBATIM news releases -- at least they did mine. Ok. Perfect for us flacks. What I found to be wrong was that on at least one occasion a DN reporter (Joe Bauman) put his byline on MY release. Guess I'm a really good writer. Never thanked Joe for that. Now's the time. Finally, to inject a little humor into my cynical comment, I spent some of my childhood ten miles south of south entrance to Death Valley. The little town of Shoshone, CA, more than occasionally experiences freezing weather. Yes, Death Valley gets below freezing at least a few days every winter. So, to carry the syllogism to it's proper conclusion, I guess Jay lets elected officials tell him what to put in the paper at least a few times a year. By the way, Jay's one of the good reporters. I still think he's blowing it out of... Well, you get the idea. I'm willing to forgive Jay his poorly crafted statement. Reporters are lousy interviews. They don't know much about media relations and how to make a good statement with colorful metaphors. Well, one that makes sense at least.
ReplyDeleteI liked his play on the cliche. It was funny because it really fit the Utah way. At least for me it was good. Much preferred to the alternative original. I just liked it.
ReplyDelete