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Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 10/7/2008 12:48:34 PM
Title: Rethinking a previous Romenesko Letter
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From PERRY PARKS: After reading Dana Milbank's reporting on how a crowd of 3,000 turned on reporters and videographers during a Sarah Palin rally, I need to update my letter regarding whether the news media should continue to legitimize the McCain campaign.

In short, the answer is no.

It's ridiculous for journalists (especially black ones) to have to feel like they're entering a war zone when they cover a political rally in the United States -- and it's downright sinister when that atmostphere is fomented by the campaign itself.

The McCain campaign's actions make clear that the very notion of a free and independent press is at stake in this election. One side in this campaign, however reluctantly, tolerates a free press and still appears to view it as a vital element in our republic. The other side is out to destroy the free press, perhaps literally.

Journalists in this country do not have an obligation to be a party to their own destruction, and by extension to the destruction of the principles of openness that form the bedrock of our freedoms. In fact, the obligation is the opposite.

If I were an editor or producer covering this election, I'd pull my people from McCain and Palin events. There is no reason to serve as props in an event staged to declare journalists enemies of the people. If McCain and Palin want to avoid the "filter" of the mainstream media, let them do it. They can run their campaign without coverage.

If you consider this argument an abdication of responsibility, then re-consider it on safety grounds. Go cover those rallies if you want to, but send your people (especially your minority staff) like you're sending them to Baghdad -- with flak jackets, security, the works.

It's really, really time to stop covering politics as a game. This election is about survival.[Permalink]

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