One last stop for Edwards
Sen. John Edwards dropped by the News & Record on his farewell tour today, and I'm afraid a few of us made him late for his next stop at the historical museum. I'll let Jim Schlosser and the editorial folks write about it all in tomorrow's paper, except for one topic: media coverage of the campaign. I mention it here because some people believe the media was biased in favor of the Kerry-Edwards ticket.
Edwards said that he thought the coverage was, on the whole, fair-minded, but he added that the national media didn't cover the right things. "Too much process. Too much horse race."
People in local media would ask specifically about issues. "They were interested in what you were going to do to affect their lives," he said. That was certainly our intent.
He didn't have much use for the television pundits spinning and commenting on the campaign, and, interestingly, he said that while he appears on the political talk shows, he doesn't watch them.
We, of course, covered Edwards extensively throughout his presidential run. Some readers held that coverage up as evidence that we favored the man. Because he was a serious candidate from North Carolina, we considered it a responsibility and would do it again. We gave similar coverage to Elizabeth Dole in her flirtation with the presidential race in 2000.
As a selfish newspaper editor, I'll miss John Edwards, but not because of his politics. He was generally accessible to us, throughout his term in the Senate and even as he became a national candidate.
Comments (4)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Ok. Edwards comes to the Triad. There is a farewell for his followers and the press. Jim Schlosser's column was apparently limited by the accessability of the Senator and thus for material he had to focus primarily on how aides arranged the props and trappings of a grand send off. This was comic relief. Colorful and well written as usual.
Inasmuch as Edwards running mate Senator Kerry , in a video message to supporters, pointed at Fox News and other right-wingers as a raison de perdition, I was hoping someone from the press would have asked Edwards if he agreed with those views. The Monday 11/29 edition of the N & R carried on A1 a story by Eric Dyer reporting the details of a lengthy interview with Edwards. If that question was asked and answered , it never made the final version.
John, you quote Edwards as saying he thought the coverage by the media was fair-minded thus I am simply curious why the head of the Democratic ticket has to blame Fox News for the defeat and whether or not Edwards also shared those feelings of bitterness. A missed opportunity indeed.
Posted on December 1, 2004 1:52 PM
I did not hear Edwards blame Fox News and other right-wingers for the ticket's defeat. However, as I wasn't a supporter of Kerry, I didn't get access to the videotaped message.
Posted on December 1, 2004 7:38 PM
John,
Dodge ball is a game you excell at but that is kinda lame as the video was re-broadcast on network TV numerous times . However IF you know a Kerry supporter ( like in $$$ wise ) take a peek.
He said what I said he said and it was a red meat question for a reporter of any stripe. As I said an opportunity missed. Well YOU HAD your chance.
Posted on December 1, 2004 11:58 PM
Fred - Why should newspapers care what politicians think of TV "news"?
Posted on December 12, 2004 7:53 PM