Last Updated: January 31, 2000
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| Jonathan P. Wolman of the Associated Press, Marvin Kalb of the Joan
Shorenstein Center at Harvard University of Virginia field questions during
a panel discussion concerning news coverage of the Clinton sex allegations.
Photo by Ha Lam/ASNE Reporter
|
Panel gives low grades to coverage of sex charges
By Ed Fletcher
ASNE Reporter
The Washington press corps received low marks - ranging from "C-minus"
to "F"- for its coverage of the Clinton sex allegations from an ASNE panel
asked to assess its performance.
"Overall I would give it a "D-minus" - and that's because of grade inflation,"
said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia-based media critic. "The first
few days was overall an "F."
Leonard Downie, executive editor of The Washington Post, said the press
scored well in its pursuit of the truth but earned mixed grades when it
came to accuracy.
"I think it is a little higher than a "D" in accuracy," said Downie.
As for the whole media "a barely passing 'C'."
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication
at the University of Pennsylvania said the media deserved a "C-minus."
And Jonathan P.Wolman, Washington bureau chief for the Associated Press,
gave the press an "X" grade because of the explicit nature of the coverage.
The panel, "Covering the Clinton Sex Allegations: What Kind of Job Have
We Done?" was a highlight of a daylong exploration of credibility issues
sponsored by ASNE.
Moderator Marvin Kalb of Harvard University said coverage of the Monica
Lewinsky and Paula Jones scandals raises tough questions about sourcing,
"a press presumption of presidential guilt from day one" and the "tabloidization"
of the news.
The panel discussion occurred before word was circulated that a federal
judge threw out the Jones sexual harassment suit against President Clinton.
Deborah Howell, Washington bureau chief and editor of Newhouse News
Service, said the question of news media credibility is critical.
At the annual Gridiron Dinner (where journalists and Washington politicians
roast one another), "The joke was, our (public) approval rating dropped
below the Unabomber's," she said.
Since the Post has a leading role in covering Clinton, and its
stories are frequently picked up by others, Downie was asked repeatedly
about the newspaper's use of anonymous sources. Downie said he regretted
not being able to supply readers with more information but stood by the
Post's practices.
"Ultimately the people have to trust us in some of the cases," Downie
said.
While he doesn't know the name of every unidentified source, Downie
said the Post has a system where some editor on staff does know.
One story that relied on unidentified sources and sparked a great deal
of debate was the Post's account of Clinton's deposition before the Paula
Jones grand jury. Not only did that story detail what Clinton said,
it also described his demeanor and gestures - things that could be known
only to someone present in the room. Downie said that every major
element of that story has been proven true since the deposition was made
public.
Sabato said he had confidence in the Post's story when he read it because
he knows the reporter. But the Post story required a "whole lot of
trust" from other readers who don't have similar ties.
"Trust in the major news organizations is declining and that ought to
be disturbing to everyone here," said Sabato, a political science professor.
Wolman said one reason credibility is suffering is that the line between
factual reporting and commentary has been blurred. He said journalists
must return to separating opinion from news.
Downie noted that despite the volume and intensity of scandal coverage,
polls show that the public still supports President Clinton.
"One thing that has become clear is that the public has a much higher
tolerance of private indiscretions by public figures," Downie said.
Jamieson said that she doesn't approve of the media delving into the
personal lives of public figures and that journalists should be prepared
to answer any tough question they ask in this area.
Sabato countered that all serious candidates, especially Republican
candidates, in the 2000 presidental race can expect to be asked about their
sex lives.
Competition from alternative media has changed the way the "mainstream"
media make decisions. Kalb asked what effect talk radio, TV talk shows
and the Internet have on coverage.
"It certainly complicates decision-making," said Downie.
The Post sometimes goes after stories it otherwise wouldn't pursue because
other media have made those stories part of the news food chain.
During the question-and-answer period, Jerome Huff, managing editor
of the Southwest Times Record of Fort Smith, Ark., said the media have
been used by the opposing camps - President Clinton's, Special Prosecutor
Kenneth Starr's, Paula Jones' and Monica Lewinsky's -and called the press
"whores."
Wolman talked about the need to sift the motives of unidentified sources
who are eager to "volunteer" information on sensitive stories such as these.
"I think stage management is definitely a part of the Lewinsky story
and the Paula Jones story," said Wolman
Jamieson said she was troubled by the errors that have been made and
not corrected in reporting the unfolding story.
"I think we have not found a way to feature corrections" so that readers
have the same opportunity to see and evaluate the corrections as the stories,
she said.
For example, many people still believe Monica Lewinsky owns a blue cocktail
dress that bears DNA evidence linking her to Clinton, Jamieson said.
The news media widely reported this information, but the existence
of the dress has not been proved.
Sabato complained about how standards have slipped so that publications
don't aggressively seek to verify controversial information on their own.
Once something has been published or broadcast, it is accepted as fair
game even if sources aren't identified.
"Something that years ago we called 'lowest common denominator journalism'
has now become the norm," Sabato said.
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