Colleen Callahan’s is foray into politics is an opportunity to discuss how the line between the watchers and those being watched is, well, not really a line at all. The media and the government are supposed to be adversarial. The reality is that they enjoy a symbiotic relationship: The press gives the politicians the exposure they need, government gives the media something to write about.
By working together, the players learn how the “other side” operates and, over time, they begin to think of themselves as being able to do the others’ job. Sometimes, this is true. Often, it is not. In this environment, it only makes sense that the players bolt from one side of this mythical line to the other.
In the 17th District, former local anchorwoman and CNN reporter Andrea Zinga faced Lane Evans and later Phil Hare, but lost both times. I’m sure Callahan is hoping for better luck.
Sometimes they bolt while on the job. Now-retired Journal Star political reporter Bill O’Connell openly favored Democrats, and lobbied openly for projects and bills he favored.Ideally, at least as far as the journalism textbooks say, there are politicians and there are reporters. You can’t be both. There should be no movement back and forth between the two camps, and there’s no intermingling beyond casual social situations.
In reality, there’s a lot of movement and a lot of intermingling, personally AND professionally. I could name (but I won’t) two working journalists in Peoria who are married to activists in the Republican and Democratic parties. There are a few bars here in Peoria where one can visit after certain public meetings where the press and the pols share a few refreshing beverages amid much comradery.
At the national level, commentator Pat Buchanan works for the media when he’s not running for president. Of course, he also was a Nixon speech writer before he became a commentator. He’s crossed that mythical line more times than I can count. ABC’s Diane Sawyer also was a Nixon speech writer. George Stephanopoulos was a member of the Bill Clinton Administration before he became the host of ABC’s This Week.
But these crossovers are public. Of more concern to the public is the co-mingling of journalism and politics behind the scenes. The standards vary, I’ve worked at newspapers where the editor was the leader of the local chamber of commerce (he once ordered me to write nothing critical of Gov. Jim Thompson, lest the city not be considered for a a new state prison). The advertising manager was a member of the village board, the chief photographer was on the airport authority, and the lone sports writer was a referee at junior high basketball games.
Try writing abut local news and events in this environment. It is not fun.
Even among news organizations which insist their staff not get involved with politics, I’ve found the concern sometimes isn’t about true objectivity, but maintaining the appearance of objectivity.
One newspaper at which I worked even forbade non-journalist employees from getting involved with political campaigns. They didn’t want anyone getting the idea the paper itself was involved. Where was this? The Daily Eastern News, my college paper. The rules have been much slacker every other place I’ve been, however.
And then there is the effect on the media when one of their own — a respected colleague or a friend, perhaps — decides to run for office. When happens when this person says something dumb? Do you take it easy on him or her, or do you go out of your way to play it up and protect YOUR reputation? Consider the fact that State Rep. David Leitch once worked for the Journal Star. There is sentiment in the community that the JS takes it easy on Leitch.
In the interest of full disclosure, when I was assistant editor of the LABOR Paper, I was a delegate for a Democratic presidential candidate, and I also got myself elected a precinct committee person. I lasted about six months, then I quit to take a reporting job in Missouri. In my defense, I thought at the time that I was out of mainstream journalism forever. Today, I’m open about my opinions about candidates and issues, but I make that the limit of my involvement.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
” Consider the fact that State Rep. David Leitch once worked for the Journal Star. There is sentiment in the community that the JS takes it easy on Leitch.”
Yes they do take it easy on David Leitch.
Great post Billy. There are even some other examples in central Ilinois, like Adam Nielson in B-N who jumped to city politics when he left journalism and an ill-fated campaign in the decatur area where a reporter ran against an incumbant Dem state rep. It also has an impact on family interactions. Undoubtedly simply by virtue of being a supportive spouse of someone active in politics, information might come a journalists way. I know in my case that has led to discussions with news directors and my wife about the rules of engagement. Personal time is always off the record and unless independently sourced, not pursued. I’m sure over the years there are stories that my wife’s employer might have gotten before another outlet but for the fact that the only way she would have gotten it is from/through me. It would make for very uncomfortable situations if every time my wife and I ran into a politico or I here something, they or I felt the need to be censoring what we say. In our case, if someone else calls her its fair game. If I have something I think is newsworthy, I call someone else. Often times what I think is newsworthy isn’t apparently. Good journalistic ethics and probably necessary marital rules of conduct as well.
Colleen Callahan on the ballot is utter insanity. I don’t care how nice she is, how well-travelled she is, or how many farm subsidies she can locate… this job is WAAAAAY bigger than anything she can bring to the table. I’m extremely disappointed in the Democrats if this comes to pass. For all intent and purpose, they’re throwing in the towel once more. Aaron will carve her up like a sugar dumpling in any debate they might have. This really saddens and sickens me. It’s a joke. It’s a travesty. I thought they could not be as goofy as they were backing Versace.
I was wrong. It just got goofier.
Aww it’s cute seeing you pretend that corporate media is not just another branch of government… or is it the other way around?
It’s almost impossible for a journalist to avoid ALL connections to any local business, political party or organization, particularly in a small town. (I know because I was once a journalist in a very small town)
By those standards the “ideal” journalist would be a celibate agnostic hermit who belonged to no church or community organization, never voted, never took any interest in a political campaign and had no friends or significant others who did.
I agree that active news/editorial employees of a newspaper or TV station should not run for or hold a public office at the same time. To extend such a prohibition to spouses or non-editorial employees, however, seems excessive. In the case of a reporter married to a political activist or public office holder, the reporter should refrain from covering the same issue or campaign the spouse is involved in.
Fascinating blog subject…one the intriguing I’ve read.
What makes it so is that this issue is fraught with 1st Amendment nuances, not so much from the “free press†perspective, but from the standpoint that citizens have the right to not be prohibited from speaking freely (not with total license, but freely in a philosophical and civil-social sense)…which would, I assume, include citizens right to run for elective office as an exercise in free speech. My feeling is that a person’s constitutional right to run for office trumps anything else, in a jurisprudential sense. However, that doesn’t preclude a corporate (i.e., a newspaper) from releasing them for clear conflict of interest, in the interest, that is, for either the corporation’s integrity and for the full-representation of the people. Would firing a journalist (or even a non-journalist employee) for that conflict be unconstitutional? Not in my mind…the Constitution precludes government, not private bodies, from infringing upon our natural rights. Alas, then one enters into the realm of discrimination, where government can, in fact, tell a private industry who they can and cannot hire/fire, which evolves by extension into a so-called “right to work†debate. In the end, I think it is and should be the consumer-citizen that will decide how the crossover or aggregate journalist-politician will affect the employer or the electability of the candidate.
In other words, as smarmy as this may or may not be, this intercourse between journalism and politics, there’s probably nothing that could or should prevent – - – except the consumer/voter. Capitalism has a great way of working those things out.
…and by the by, Mr. Prego, for all my recent agreement with you on a number of issues (frown), I tend think that Colleen Callahan is hardly Dick Versace. Aside from the journalism connection (which of course can’t be divorced from this), she’s a heck of a lot more palatable and capable candidate. I also believe this was her decision, not the party’s (for all the logical reasons you offer). I’d speculate that this is not an Alan Keyes-style recruitment – this is likely something she wants, which makes her more viable and dangerous for Sch…., er, I mean which ever GOP gets through the primary.
There are advantages to small towns. The scorecards are smaller, it is easier to know who the players are.
Great post, Billy. I’ve struggled with these issues, as well. I’ve concluded that transparency is the best policy, but that doesn’t solve all of the problems either, especially if you’re trying to keep a career in journalism. It’s also been helpful for me to keep in mind that journalism tries to be a profession (even if it isn’t, technically speaking) that requires intellectual honesty, fairness, and accuracy. I believe you can still be a professional journalist, while remaining a citizen and human being.
What this discussion highlights is how important it is for citizens to have access to as many sources of news as possible. This is why the average person should worry about media consolidation and the perilous state of the newspaper industry.
News organization and their reporters and editors try to be objective to varying degrees, but complete objectivity is a myth, really unachievable in the real world. To insist that journalists have no opinions on important issues is to insist on having journalists who aren’t very intelligent.
I should point out that U.S. newspapers, in particular, are a lot more objective now than they were 70 or 100 or 200 years ago. There were a lot more newspapers then, though, and many people read more than one.
Yes, I know newspapers are not the only source of information. I like them all, blogs included. But, as Billy has pointed out several times, they are not a substitute for professional news organizations.
“By those standards the “ideal†journalist would be a celibate agnostic hermit”….or is that the ideal blogger
… I am NOT a hermit.
David Leitch left the Journal Star in 1974. That’s 34 years ago. With the exception of one or two fossils, no one at the paper now ever worked with him.
Sam: Until recently, one or two old fossils who did know him still worked there.
“Knowing” and “working with” are two different things.
I’m thinking Colleen Callahan as an opponent seals the deal for Schock. The Dems lost Versace and knew they had little chance with him as it was. There are still some hard feelings against Dick after he dissed Peoria in the media, post-BU. Colleen may have some cache’ in the ag community, but isn’t a politician. She needs to stick to doing the occasional commercial voiceover and tending to her “communications company”.
Regarding people still at the Journal Star who worked with Dave Leitch, I’m positive the only one in the newsroom is Theo Jean Kenyon. She is a feature reporter now. (Both Kenyon and Leitch are former presidents of the Newspaper Guild local, BTW.)
There is a janitor who may have been there when he was, but I’m not sure. Walt Jatkowski, head of security, might have been there, too.
Leitch was gone before I started.
I can’t wait until they start asking Colleen Callahan about her ideas to protect our borders, win the war in Iraq, and stimulate the economy. There’s a lot more to that job than doing photo ops, reading wire copy from your home, and playing farm reporter. She’s way out of her league on this one, and one debate will be enough to take the clothes off that emporer.
[...] I was pleased to see this blog post from Peoria blogger, Bill Dennis about how a Peoria local media entity had decided to run for office in the 18th Congressional [...]