8/3/2019 Response to LaVarr Webb
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LaVarr:
I just have to beg to differ with you on your analysis below. As
a
longtime FOI advocate and journalist this isn't the first time I
haveheard this kind of criticism. However, I would expect this kind
of
analysis from a lawmaker, but was rather surprised that someone
who
has been a journalist would make such an assertion.
Just because media owners and publishers take a particular
position on
any given issue, whether it be endorsing a candidate or opposing
a
ballot initiative, does that automatically mean that the
reporting on
that issue will be biased?
I seem to recall that you and I were at the DNews when the
paper
editorially came out against pari-mutual betting. I covered
debates
and meetings about the issue and I was never told how to frame
the
story or not to cover all sides of the debate. Was your
experiencedifferent than mine?
During my time at the Deseret News I also served as the SPJ FOI
chair
for the Utah Chapter and on the national FOI committee. My
editors
were very careful not to have me cover the legislature because I
was
actively lobbying for open government issues there. I believe
the Trib
and others are taking the same kind of measures today. I have
been in
meetings where only an editor or publisher was present.
Reporters have
never been including in the lobbying effort.
Here's an example from today's Standard Examiner which
completely
blows apart you assertion:
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/30/bill-would-protect-registered-voters-identity-theft
If the media coalition monolith was controlling the news on this
story
there certainly would have been a different headline and it
would have
included nothing about Greenwood's arguments and all about how
the
big,bad media has given this bill a GRAMA Watch rating of
"lights
out."
In the end, we probably wouldn't have the kind of open
government we
do if it weren't for the advocacy of publishers and newspaper
owners.
So I think there is a bigger role for publishers to take in
this
issue, but that doesn't automatically suggest a bias in
reporting.
Research by a BYU law professor suggests that both case law
and
statutory law for open government has largely been driven by
news
organizations involvement in the courts and legislatures. While
some
will say that this advocacy role in our society amounts to a
narrow
special interest, I believe it is more far reaching than that
and is
wrapped up in the reasons why our Founders felt it necessary
to
guarantee a free press. This is more than a special interest, it
is
the public's interest.
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/30/bill-would-protect-registered-voters-identity-thefthttp://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/30/bill-would-protect-registered-voters-identity-thefthttp://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/30/bill-would-protect-registered-voters-identity-theft
