Readers Spurn ‘High Drama,’ Inflammatory Reporting
Last November, Elmer Tiegs of Latah responded to a “Bagpipes” inquiry about voting by mail.
This week, he responded to one about a state senator’s assertion that the news media would rather report on conflict than consensus.
“I had many, many various concerns about mail-in voting, and three times you tried to elicit answers from me about the privacy of mail-in voting,” said Tiegs. “When I finally did give you an answer, that was the only thing you printed. I feel you printed the most inflammatory part of what I said and ignored my legitimate concerns. I feel that you at ‘Bagpipes,’ too, have this mind-set that if it isn’t a little bit inflammatory, it isn’t worth reading.”
Tuesday’s column encouraged readers to let us know about aspects of public life in which consensus would make for a readable story even if it lacked the drama that conflict generates.
“I read a newspaper to obtain information, not to be excited or entertained by ‘high drama’ stories,” said Carey Chilton Charyk of Spokane. “Issues deserve to be reported on accurately, not in a way that will stir up controversy.
“How about reporting on the process that goes into the community’s efforts to create positive change? I realize this would take more time of your staff to research the issues and interview more people. I know I’m speaking for many readers when I say that we want this kind of reporting, not ‘high drama.”’
“The issue we should have consensus on is how can we get around what amounts to larceny in politics,” said Chuck Huffine of Pullman.
As it is, he said, incumbents serve only those who finance their campaigns - “in other words, big business and special interests.
“The only way we can get around it is to (1) have taxpayers fund all elections; (2) have severe penalties, put people in prison who give a dime to a politician; (3) give them massive incentive tax breaks to take the same money they were going to put into politics and put it into education.”
If you’re looking for honor in public life, said Dave Laird of Spokane, don’t start with the highest levels of office.
“To find someone who is without shame, who unquestioningly goes about his/her business each day without a thought of obtaining favor or graft for himself/herself, it is necessary to look no further than the service workers.”
, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond, call Cityline at 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone; or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to dougf@spokesman.com. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.