Leader Editorial – Viewers tuning into Oxford Community Television Channel 19 may have noticed various township board candidates engaged in what appear to be question-and-answer sessions with an interviewer.
At first glance, these interviews may seem like genuine news pieces designed to inform the electorate about to the upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 3 primary.
In fact, the closing credits state, ‘OCTV. . .presents these interviews as an informational tool in your voting decision.? But as the old saying goes, ‘Appearances can be deceiving.?
In reality, these interview sessions were bought and paid for by the candidates appearing in them.
A July 12, 2004 registered letter to all the candidates from Channel 19 Station Manager Don Huegerich stated, ‘We would like you to off set our expenses at cost. We feel that the interviews will take approximately 3 hours of staff time and are setting a value of this service at $50. Copies of your interview on DVD are $20. Your air time is at no cost to you.?
Also, the candidates got to pick and choose which questions they wanted to answer.
‘You may submit questions you would like to respond to during your interview including your short and long term goals relevant to the public office you seek; your personal background and qualifications for that office and your views on civic duty and the right to vote,? Huegerich wrote.
‘We have compiled a list of questions on the major issues facing our community and the office you seek; you will be provided a copy of these questions prior to your interview so that you may prepare your responses. If you wish to decline comment on specific issues, those questions will not be presented to you during your interview. You will not be asked questions that you have not reviewed in advance,? Huegerich wrote.
All this amounts to one thing ? these interviews are not genuine news pieces designed to inform, they are paid political advertisements designed to persuade.
In a real news piece, the candidate does not pay to offset’s the media’s expenses (such as the reporter’s time to conduct the interview and write the story).
In a real news piece, the candidate does not get to review their questions ahead of time, then pick and choose which ones he or she would like to answer and which ones they would like to leave unanswered.
However, nowhere ? not before, during or after ? does Channel 19 inform viewers that these so-called candidate interviews were paid for by the candidates or that the candidates read and approved the questions they were asked ahead of time.
We want Channel 19’s viewers to be aware that these interviews are not real journalism, they are political advertising, plain and simple.
That’s why not all the Oxford and Addison township board candidates appear in these segments.
‘Air time will be kept equal for all candidates willing to be interviewed,? Huegerich wrote. In other words, those candidates willing to shell out the $50.
We just thought Channel 19 viewers and Oxford and Addison voters should be aware of all of this when they watch these interviews.
A word to the wise is sufficient.