On SPJ (A Presidential Debate)

THE RECAP (10/22): Sorry for the delay. In essence, the SPJ event was poorly-attended but worth the time to be there.

Has the media gone too far in its coverage of presidential candidates? As reflected in the notes, the popular answer was "yes" but it's a qualified response.

The coverage isn't just a byproduct of a desire to get ratings or sell newspapers (though, for the latter, single-issue sales don't really keep the lights on); it is more indicative of the free market for content, where journalists are no longer gatekeepers and anything can qualify as "news." Remember, news is 24/7.

Each panelist offered some really good perspective, especially on Joe The Plumber who dominated the discussion much like he did the last presidential debate.

The bottom line on Joe is that he's really a non-issue that the press had no choice but to cover in order to reveal that he is a non-issue so the Republicans can't really make him into an issue though they are trying really hard. (By the way, Kustoff isn't a Joe The Plumber fan.)

I've gone back and revised some of the blog notes to clarify.

7:47: The Q&A is beginning. I'll update with an overview later tonight.

7:45: Norman said there should be some examination of spouses when they are involved in the campaign because they do have an impact. But the question is: how far one should go? Norman said the process of vetting--which comes from the term veterinarian--is for the process of determining loyalty. He said the media has played into the public's desire to see, hear and read the equivalent of SNL skits.

7:40: When asked if Memphis Democrats are treated fairly by the media, Norman said he thinks it goes back and forth. He said some Democrats have contributed to their own downfall through their own actions and reputation. He said he does believe that as an extension of the personal that there are some spiritual, family and even cultural issues that are hard to dissect. And it's hard to be accurate in regards to those issues. He said that he even empathizes with Sarah Palin in regards to the coverage of her spiritual belief and family. Again, he is a Democrat and a pastor.

7:37: Baker said there are two political races in Tennessee that involve adulterers and he'll be interested to see if that issue is raised in the coverage. Maybe, the key is whether the adulterer is discrete about his/her actions. As a media person, Baker said, he believes the media is greedy with excess.

7:33: Baker called local media to the carpet for not writing about an old tryst between two local politicians and one of their wives. Why hasn't that been covered? Baker said he suspects that it hasn't been written about because the Memphis community is close knit--though there is an air of hypocrisy about not writing about it. Baker asked, why are we looking at one aspect of character while leaving other aspects alone? He's opining about FDR, JFK and Gary Hart.

7:30: Asked if he feels if the media invaded Joe The Plumber's privacy by exposing his private details and whether he consented it, Baker said he invited the scrutiny because he asked a question of Obama that could have been politically advantageous and the media was right to inspect his public image. Baker said that was a classic case of the media doing its job since McCain used him as a test case for his own agenda.

7:28: When asked about NYT's story on Cindy McCain and her drug use, Carne said spouses fall somewhere on the spectrum between children aged 18 and the president. She also wondered whether the Cindy McCain story is relevant to McCain. Dries interjected that the line should be drawn differently since Cindy McCain is an active participant in the campaign.

7:23: Carne said the media will cover what sells. What people want to read or watch is a secondary problem. As far as the NYT's story about McCain's relationship with a lobbyist, she said that was just bad journalism that used thin sources. In terms of Palin, she believes that every politician is deserved of the same level of privacy as the average individual. However, the level of privacy diminishes depending on the importance of the elected office and whether the person consents to scrutiny. Also, whether the issue is relevant.

7:19: When asked if he ever went over the line in his own reporting, Dries said, "No." He doesn't think there is a line to cross when it comes to policy and privacy on a presidential level. Maybe, there is a line on the Council level. Still, some off-the-job issues are relevant. He's recalling his coverage of Rickey Peete and how his private life intersected with his political life. He said he's aware that his reporting might cause some pain but he believes that his stories have been legitimate stories on issues that readers need to know about.

7:17: When was the line crossed? Larsen-Price said it just occured over time because of competition.

7:15: Larsen-Price said she isn't sure if there is a line to cross anymore in terms of political private lives. There just seems to be more interest in private life than policies because of the media's need for ratings and single-issue copy sales.

7:13: Sanford follows with a question about whether the hue and cry about Palin coverage would be different if the shoe was on the other party's foot. Kustoff believes that it would be consistent.

7:12: Is it gotcha journalism or relevant? Kustoff doesn't believe that the media crossed the line in its questions of Palin. He said a candidate has to be prepared to make disclosures when they run for an office of that magnitude.

7:11: How far is too far to go in terms of covering the lives of presidential candidates? Sanford puts this question into perspective looking at events involving politicians and their private lives, including the Gary Hart episode and Palin's daughter Bristol.

7:10: The panel: Heather Larsen-Price, University of Memphis; former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff (and Republican); Shelby County Democratic Chair Keith Norman; The Flyer's Jackson Baker; Margaret Carns, Rhodes College and Bill Dries of Memphis Daily News.

7:05: We're getting started.

7PM: OK, I'm at the Central Library for the Society of Professional Journalists discussion on the presidential coverage of the candidates.

CA Editor of Opinion/Editorial Otis Sanford is the moderator. The panel is here but the crowd is slow.