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In an interview on Monday arranged by Republican strategists...

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by YankeeFan, Jun 3, 2014.

  1. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    I'm going to take up for YF here and point out that those examples offered up by MC are not the same. There's an inherent difference between something that's supposed to be a news story (or a reaction-to-news story) and an admittedly orchestrated political event like a campaign appearance, a party convention, a state visit or a meeting between heads of state.

    This story has far more in common with reaction stories from the Trayvon Martin case, for example, than with the Democratic National Convention.
     
  2. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    Political theater is in reaction to current news events 99.9999 percent of the time.
     
  3. Spartan Squad

    Spartan Squad Well-Known Member

    They're similar because if you are wanting reaction to the hostage swap, you go to Congressional sources, national security sources, White House sources, the guy's family, service member organizations and the like for comment. Getting a GOP strategist isn't high on the list. In fact, I might not want to seek a strategist's advice unless I'm a cable news network because all I'm going to get out of them is how this will be spun. Pointing out the fact that you didn't set up the meeting is almost a necessity.
     
  4. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Did you ask the writer of the story? Or lodge a complaint with the public editor?
     
  5. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    If you want information on the soldier in question, you'd go to guys who served with him in his unit -- which is who they got, not a GOP strategist, who I don't believe was quoted.

    And that's fine to point out who set up the meeting. In fact, that's great -- more transparency is good. What YF is saying is that while that sort of thing happens often, who set up the meeting/arranged the phone call/provided the quotes is rarely (if ever) pointed out.

    Is he right? I don't know, I haven't checked. I don't remember seeing it before, but then I've never really thought about it, either.
     
  6. Spartan Squad

    Spartan Squad Well-Known Member

    I think it happens quite a bit, but I think it's pretty clear why YF is pointing it out here. There's a lot of times—at least in sports reporting—where you read or hear the innocuous "during a conference call," or during a press conference, which is some PR guy setting up a meeting with someone the media wants to talk with for a legitimate news story, be it an athlete, sports commissioner or the like.

    And I'm going to throw this out there—from knowing how much of a pain in the butt it is to work with the Navy on arranging controversial interviews—the Times might have pointed out how they got the interview because some Army brass told them they couldn't have access to the soldiers or wouldn't help the paper arrange an interview. The quote said he was a former medic in the unit, but doesn't explicitly say he is retired, so I'm operating under the assumption the soldier is still active duty.
     
  7. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    I'm not going to get too far into the weeds and out myself, but I've inserted sentences like the one discussed here a few times in stories I've written.

    Mainly it involved a local guy turned politician. He had done really good things for the community. Then, he ran for office and became a caricature of everything that endeared him to the public, and they turned on him.
     
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