Journalists covering debates are asked for racial data

[papau]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/election2004/story/A0A1DBE4E164E8DB86256F0A001285B1?OpenDocument&Headline=Journalists+covering+debates+are+asked+for+racial+data

Journalists covering debates are asked for racial data
By EUN-KYUNG KIM
Of the Post-Dispatch
09/08/2004

Journalists requesting credentials for the presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 8 at Washington University are being asked to disclose their race on the media application.

The question surprised several local editors and news directors, eliciting prickly responses from some and recalling for others a flare-up over the race of an Arizona photographer scheduled to cover a visit by the vice president.

Requests for racial information have not been part of the standard questions posed to media covering the dozens of campaign visits President George W. Bush or his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, have made to Missouri recently.

John Butler, news director at KMOX (1120 AM), said he found the question offensive.

"Here's the deal: It's not their damn business," he said. "We're journalists, period. We're not white, black, green, purple, male or female. End of story."

Media applying for credentials to the presidential debates fill out their requests online. The application, distributed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, asks the applicant for a photo and a Social Security number or, if the journalist is not a U.S. resident, a passport number. It also asks for gender, a current address and the city, state and country of birth. The application gives the option of declining to provide race information.

The race of journalists became a national issue more than a month ago when an Arizona Daily Star photographer, Mamta Popat, appeared to be singled out for additional scrutiny by the Bush campaign.

<snip>

[AspenRose]

1. They're still pulling this crap?!

They have NO shame whatsoever. NONE. Zip. Zero. NADA.

Some professional journalist society should raise hell over this.

[flordehinojos]

3. of course they have no shame.

they are solidifying the implementation of their dictatorship. they know leslie blitzer and judy woof-woof are on their side...not to mention tucker carlson, bob novak, chris matthews, tim russert, daryn kagan, soledad o'brien and all of the regular bush shills.

those who might want to "raise hell over this" may think twice about it as they may be threatened with job loss.

[CarolynEC]

2. Race and college admissions: bad...

Race and covering a political speech: necessary-to-the defense-of-our-nation-the-terrorists-hate-our-press-freedom-blahblahblah-tapdancetapdancetapdance

[Romulus]

11. "toast to the post"

:toast:

[Sal316]

4. They did that here in AZ

...not too long ago when Giggles was here.

No shame is right!

[UpInArms]

5. next they will be adding an additional box to check off

Have this journalist been "saved"?

[AspenRose]

8. You're probably right

"Please indicate your religious affiliation:"

Christian (Protestant)
Christian (Catholic)
Jewish
Muslim *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Sikh
Hindu
Buddhist
Atheist *again, here is where you get your pass revoked*
Other

[JLucas4092]

9. I fixed it for you

"Please indicate your religious affiliation:"

Christian (Protestant)
Christian (Catholic)
Jewish *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Muslim *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Sikh *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Hindu *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Buddhist *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Atheist *here is where you get your pass revoked, regardless of race*
Other *again, here is where you get your pass revoked*

[AspenRose]

10. Ha ha, good one

Although I thought Falwell gave "conservative Jews" (e.g. Dr. Laura) a pass.

[JLucas4092]

13. He might have...

but he's getting soft then! In these times of terrorism, we can't risk it!

[LynneSin]

6. I'd put on the application "Other: Klingon"

or some other bizarre non-existant race

:mad:

[Racenut20]

7. Isn't this the one that Buscho cancelled?

[goclark]

12. If the press had guts they would sue them

but they won't. Too busy sucking up to Bushie.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. kick