Friday I received an email from a reporterette with the Journal Gazette requesting an interview. Since the Journal Gazette is famously known for taking interviews out of context, I plan on declining as soon as I post this.
Here’s the email I received:
Hi Dan –
My name’s Jaclyn Youhana, and I’m a reporter for The Journal Gazette. I’m working on a story, and I was hoping you might be able to help me out. The story is about how much, if at all, racism drives anti-Obama sentiment. If you’d be willing to talk to me, I’d love to set up an interview. Feel free to call me at 461.8462 or e-mail jyouhana@jg.net.
Have a great weekend!
Jaclyn
I replied and asked, “Why me?” and got this in reply.
One of the editors here suggested I talk to you, and after reading over your blog, I thought you might be a nice source to have in the story. Would you be interested in talking to me? If you’d rather not, that’s fine — I just ask that you let me know either way.
I’m sure the JG is not an AWB fan. So sorry folks, I’m not chasing that carrot, but here’s your answer.
Most of the enmity and frustration that is being expressed around the country right now has nothing to do with race. In spite of that, many of the left-leaning media and elitist continue to look for a racial element that, by and large, does not exist. Why is it that publications like the Journal Gazette refuse to look at the ideological divisions between conservatives and liberals? Why is it they cannot look into the real sentiment behind the public’s anger with Obama?
Obama’s approval ratings keep dropping, yet the Journal Gazette ignores it. It’s news, report it.
Racism isn’t always overt, and it does exist in some of the more radical fringe groups on both sides of the aisle. I’m afraid that may never go away completely, but it’s certainly not the case with the majority of those that have issues with the President.
To write a story about Obama and racism is, in my opinion, another reason to avoid the real facts. How about a story on how Obama seems intent on taking away more of our liberties? How about the disgust most senior citizen’s have with his plan for government to take over the healthcare system?
The media narrative that anyone that criticizes Obama must be racist is getting to be old hat, yet the folks at the Journal Gazette are still consumed with it. Well, get over it.
Personally, I’m very proud that our country was color blind when it came to electing our first black President. They just chose the wrong guy.
AWB
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I am generally not a Journal Gazette hater but reading this offends me greatly. Just because I am opposed to the left-wing ideology of the Obama Administration, I am somehow racist? Dan, you are smart not to take the bait here but I fear their article will still paint all of us from a conservative ideology with a broad stroke of racism to deter from what is really going on in middle America.
Clearly making news instead of reporting, which is why the JG and most other newspapers are struggling, people are literally not buying it!
Dan:
Kudos to you for seeing that stick BEHIND that “carrot”…!
Always knew you were a person of principles.
It’s become so hackneyed…all this “If you don’t agree with ANY aspect of this President, you’re automatically an enemy of the state. and therefore a racist” is pure and utter BS.
I actually wanted Obama to succeed, figured it would be a nice “leg up” for having racial divides healed, but what we ALL got in this was simply bad on too many levels.
Never knew that proposed socialism was a “healing” thing…
Keep watching BOTH hands here with this administration, folks!
There is a certain amount of sublime irony in the fact that you are declining an interview because you are afriad they will distort your views, especially vis-a-vis the Obama/Fox situation.
Let’s see how this goes: The City Administration has been stung by 2 embarrassing personnel problems that involve persons of protected classes. Mayor Henry calls Julie Inskeep and complains. Julie picks up the phone and calls Craig Klugman who calls Sherry Skufca into a meeting. Craig tells Sherry that the heat is on from the mayor’s office and the publisher can’t stand the heat. They need to do a story to discredit a local blog that is tearing the High Imperial Supreme Mayor Tom Henry a new as**ole. A lowly reporterette is told to approach this blog-master with a vague story idea about racism, then craft a hatchet job story……
You see, the mayor won’t take the responsibility for addressing his presonnel problems nor the PR debacle of how each was handled. It’s far more expedient to demonize a blogger and the small people who post comments.
This is Saul Alinsky to a “t”. Find a target, freeze it, frame it, make it personal, marginalize and destroy the target.
Dan, you have a bullseye on your back. And we’re all along for the ride.
Time to get that advertiser list of the Journal Gazette together and call and ask each and every advertiser if they know they are funding the politics of personal destruction.
Stick to your guns and keep the heat on.
Pez,
Had they requested a live interview on-camera I may have accepted. But leaving them with a reporter’s notes that could be taken out of context and spun to meet their agenda would have been foolish. So no, this isn’t like the Fox/White House issue.
As far as that goes however, I still get press releases from the city. Let’s see if that stops once they read this.
Dan,
I don’t know if I would even trust an on camera interview these days, remember the Hitler video (I am still LMAO).
A tip…if you are ever interviewed by the media, always record the conversation making sure that the reporter’s questions are also audible. That way, if they twist, or misconstrue, it’s easy to file a complaint about journalistic ineptitude/malpractice. Plus you can also post the interview session since you recorded it and have a right to play it back. If it’s a phoner you have to tell them you are recording, saying something like “I take horrible notes, so I record everything…”. If they refuse, then that tells you about their intent.
Good advice, however.. In Indiana, there is no law against recording conversations, even surreptitiously, as long as at least one party to the conversation consents to the recording. Which would be me. Then again, I wouldn’t waste my time with the JG.
Let the thumb-sucking cat stranglers at the JG call me….I’ll ask them one question. Why, when I was in my former career, did they refuse to ever print any letters to the editor or op-ed pieces I submitteed. I was repeatedly told that since I worked in the media it was against their policy.
Call me now you weasals……
It is overly simplistic for an editor to see the name of your blog and then expect you be provide fun and juicy details for a story on race. But finding and cultivating interesting comments is not easy. Sometimes you have to ask a lot of people just to get a few worthy responses.
@Dan – I wouldnt do an on-camera interview either (editing is a bit**), and I agree with you turning down the interview as well, I just found the irony amusing.
The newspaper, as a source of information, is near death. Don’t prolong their misery by playing to their hand. john in Florida