Reporters and questions

This may be somewhat off on a tangent but we thought it worth at least a comment.

A columnist in yesterday’s morning paper applauds a TV reporter in reference to the mayor "hiding" from questions: "(the reporter)...did exactly what good reporters do when politicians play hide-and-seek.  She tracked Ballard down...to pose her questions." (Our emphasis.)

Regular readers of this blog know that we frequently ask questions. Immediately after making a post we email the governor, mayor, our state senator and representative, and our City-County councilman (copies to all council members), informing them of the new post. 

We also email some 30-40 members of the media, print and electronic, including two editors.  We have no way to pursue direct contact with public officials, but we have hoped it is clear that any member of the media is free to use any or all of our questions at his/her discretion.

An email request for information from the our councilman resulted in a "I’ll look into that."  That was months ago and apparently he is still looking.  A follow-up snail-mail to the same gentleman did result in a response.  Other public officials simply don’t respond, even to snail-mail follow-up.   

One interesting reply from a reporter on this paper was, "That’s a good question, Fred.  You should have been a reporter."  What is even more interesting is the fact that he failed to use (or to report on) the question himself.

Some time ago the editor solicited questions or comments on subjects which readers thought should be covered.  We submitted a series of half dozen questions by way of our blog.  One reporter emailed he was impressed and would take the list to a meeting within a couple of days.  We never heard from him again.  And he has never asked, or at least written about, any of the questions we submitted.

All of this only leads to the subject which came to our mind when reading this column.  If it is the mark of a good reporter, how come someone from the electronic media was the only one pursuing the mayor?

Question.  Does biased management trump good reporting?

Comments

[Leslie Baker]

I have wondered the same thing myself, especially when print media and local news reporters claim how they will dig to get to the truth on any subject, if it affects their viewers/readership. This is obviously only promotional b.s., as you have raised plenty of questions over the years that any decent investigative reporter (or editor!) would have been dying to get his or her teeth into. And if reporters themselves are telling you that, then it's pretty obvious that they are being told not to do the story by the people above them.

Apparently it's better "news" to humiliate a heartbroken college basketball player by putting a half-page picture of the dejected young man on the front page, along with the stats from his worst game in an otherwise remarkable year.

[Larry Williams]

To answer your question - Yes!