Virginian-Pilot Hypocrisy on Transparency
By Brian Kirwin | Sunday, March 7th, 2010 | PolicyDon’t you just love when newspapers call on others to do what they are unwilling to do themselves?
Sunday’s editorial criticizes the Virginia Beach School Board for holding candidate interviews in private.
“Private conversations may indeed be more candid, but they shut out the very people the candidates are vying to represent: the public.”
As we enter elections scheduled for May and November, guess who is going to be holding closed, private interviews with candidates for School Board and City Council?
The Virginian-Pilot!
That’s right. The same editorial writers that tell others that candidate interviews need to be public and open for all to see will gather candidates in the Pilot offices, close the door, and conduct their private interviews with candidates and the public not knowing a single issue that was said or discussed.
The Pilot talks a lot about leadership. Here’s a chance for them to show some. They’ve called for candidate interviews to be open and public. Will theirs be?
Is the Pilot interested enough in transparency to practice it?
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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10 Responses to "Virginian-Pilot Hypocrisy on Transparency"
Outstanding. Better yet, why don’t they podcast these interviews? Let’s hear them and then read their “endorsement”. If they need help figuring out how to do this, I gladly offer my assistance.
I think that is an excellent proposal! As a current School Board Member here in Portsmouth as well as a candidate in the May 4th Elections, I believe that would offer greater insight into the candidate’ platforms and their proposals to make our schools better. Supreme Court Justice Brandeis’ said that “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” Let’s open these interviews and give the people another opportunity to select the best candidates for this important job!
So I assume, Brian, that whenever you and J.R. conduct your interviews, and then sit down to discuss your candidate preferences, that you will invite all your posters to participate live and on site?
Sure!
Actually, we really already do that. We try to interview every candidate – unfiltered and let the folks decide.
We haven’t endorsed before, but might. So, you’ll all know where we’re coming from.
Every time JR and I have conducted interviews, they’ve been either recorded and posted or broadcast live. Being that JR and I are rarely in the same city, it would be tough for people to be on site.
But when we interview candidates for office, it’s usually by phone, and we record every word and post the recording.
Have you thought about doing a Skype interview via webcam which is then recorded? We can then see the “whites of their eyes” and observe their body language along with their voices to see who believes what they say.
Tim J – yes. I’m working with the technology to do that very thing. You’re likely to see more UStream videos where it will be a live interview and recorded for posterity and I can take questions via chat.
I’m not sure that I see any why a private business should be help to the same standard of accountability as a board of elected/appointed government officials. I think the editorial staff ought to make the interviews available – there just isn’t any hypocrisy in not doing so.
to the last Brian, the Pilot is not “just a private business.” They claim extraordinary, constitutional protections as a member of the press – the fourth estate if you will. In other words, they think they’re special. I think the Pilot’s process for interviewing candidates stinks if intellectual and social elitism and is outrageous. It would be fascinating and hilarious to watch the Pilot editors try to hide their loathing and hatred for conservative candidates while the liberals are treated as fellow travelers. Brian K nailed it – sunshine. Perhaps only the candidates can demand sunshine during this process. They are all to whimpy to do so because they don’t have the juice. The public needs to weigh in. Write some letters to the editor.
They may think whatever they like, RM (lolz). It is not hypocrisy for the VP to think that the Government should be held to higher accountability standard that it itself should.
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