Table talk at NC SPIN

By Tom Campbell, July 18, 2013

People often ask what conversations take place before we tape NC SPIN and I tell them the talk around the table before taping and during commercial breaks is often as interesting and compelling as what goes on the air. I have decided to share some of this table talk with you in hopes you will enjoy it also.

This week the table talk started when one panelist told about moderating a panel discussion  and the fact that Governor McCrory came into and became part of the panel discussion, even to the point of taking questions from the audience. One panelist opined that McCrory didn’t, however, take questions from the media, either during or after the appearance.

That led to a discussion about how other governors have responded to the media. Another panelist remarked that Jim Martin was always willing to talk with the media, remembering a talk he made to the Cary Rotary Club. Afterwards, the panelist asked the Governor if he might be willing to answer a few questions and related that Martin went to his car and sat with him in the car for an interview.

Panelists remarked that neither Bev Perdue nor Mike Easley were so inclined, contrasted by Jim Hunt, who would actually seek out the media to ensure he was able to convey his positions.

I started thinking about the role of the modern media and how it has changed in the time I’ve been involved in political coverage. When I first started covering politicians and leaders from other sectors it was assumed these were honorable people who had knowledge you didn’t possess. We trusted these leaders to be forthcoming who would answer questions honestly and fully….understanding our role was first and foremost to report the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story. A reporter’s own personal biases or opinions were neither welcomed nor allowed in news stories. Opinions were segregated to Editorial pages or in broadcast editorials.

There has always been and likely will always be officials who are corrupt, untrustworthy and working for their own interests, but in the main we believed that public servants were truly interested in serving the public and gave them credit for trying to do the right thing for the most people.

That all changed with Watergate, when the media and the public learned that public officials were not always to be trusted to tell the truth. That began an evolution in the role of the media.

The media philosophy changed from trust to skepticism, then, in too many instances, to outright adversarial postures seeking to dig out the lies, self-dealing and deception. Today, journalists too frequently start with an assumption or bias toward an official, story or issue, then work to prove that assumption correct, searching for any indiscretion or questionable action regardless of when it took place, who it affected or what impact it might have on current situations. Media types deny this happens but it does with too much frequency.

Today, it is assumed that whenever a politician, business, religious or any leader speaks to the media the journalists are being “spun,” meaning the leader will present only the best slant to the issue. Unfortunately, this is also true, despite their protests to the contrary. With this adversarial atmosphere leaders grew hesitant to speak to journalists, especially those on the Republican and conservative end of the spectrum. They believe, and is too frequently true, most media types are liberal Democrats who won’t be give them any benefit of doubt or honest reporting. The unwillingness to submit themselves or their families to an adversarial media keeps too many good people from offering themselves for public service…a loss for us all.

So here we are at a time when the media doesn’t trust politicians and other leaders, the leaders don’t trust the media and the public doesn’t have a high level of trust in either. It is a sad commentary on our current state and one for which there doesn’t appear to be a solution.