Balanced reporting, Alabama style

[phank]

There's a bit of news down here in Alabama about this little dustup. Seems Alabama Public Television had been trying as hard as it could to cover everything from all angles. But that didn't work very well for the commission overseeing APT. APT hadn't been balancing science with creationism, don't you know. And they'd been so keen to broadcast accurate history that they refused to air David Barton's, uh, "creative" approach to history.

So as of today (8-1-12) we're seeing a pretty complete housecleaning of APT. In the interests of balance, it seems APT henceforth will be determinedly white, heterosexual, creationist, strongly anti-abortion, and more focused on Jesus. Other viewpoints, you see, are "unbalanced". Also, to be fair, APT was spending too much money for not enough viewers. Gotta appeal to the lowest common denominator, public TV ain't for, you know, edumicating folks. They don't go for that kind commie stuff in these here parts.

[Darth Executor]

Public television and public radio should not exist.

[Teallaura]

A big controversy has been brewing about Alabama Public Television.

Recent personnel decisions at the network prompted a rash of resignations from APT's various foundation boards.

Since then, rumors have been flying around the state and the country, most notably, after commissioners voted 5-2 to fire the organization's Director, Allan Pizatto, and its Chief Financial Officer, Pauline Howland.

"All I know is that the commissioners are saying they want to go in a new direction," says Vanzetta McPherson.

Source

So basically, you have two firings and a heck of a lot of rumor. Must be a conservative conspiracy... Although the same commission that fired them in a 5 - 2 decision originally hired them - dang, dumb conservatives hiring hippies.

Here's a concept - how about we get the facts before we let the blogosphere destroy our few remaining liberal braincells?

As for the 'diversity mission statement' how did you manage to miss the obvious? It's not 'inclusive' - it's highly 'exclusive' since it only includes the few groups mentioned. Culturally insensitive and tone deaf - if that really is the reason for the firings then they deserved it. Mind you, I still vote for more fact and less rumor before deciding who is in the wrong.

[phank]

There are several stories about this, and I didn't want to just C&P them all here. And the stories in my local paper aren't on the net, at least not yet. But the bottom line is really not in so much question as you work so hard to imply. APT has been too "liberal", and those deciding the programming have been avoiding the sort of bogus history and junk science so near and dear to the god-fearing commission. Many have quit because the job was just too stressful, with the constant threat of punishment, demotion, salary cuts, or firing if they did NOT start giving "balance" to creationist claptrap.

Hopefully, intelligent people understand that science is not a democracy, where any ideological preference is as good as any other. Science is based on the idea that there is only one reality like it or not. History assumes there was only one history, even if it's not the one some folks wanted. You may wish to spend an hour reading the book I linked to (under "David Barton"). If you have any personal integrity, you will appreciate the problem here.

[phank]

Public television and public radio should not exist.

While I often enjoy the material they broadcast and find it educational, entertaining and useful, I agree that it's a function government should not perform. If people wished to be educated, they'd fund such programs by actually watching them and buying the advertisers' products.

[Teallaura]

I read your links and others - they have lots of rumor and little else. So your version of 'balanced reporting' is nothing more than rumor and innuendo with a token fact thrown in - or were you meaning to highlight the utter lack of professionalism in reporting based on rumor and little else?

Face it, you're the one guilty of poor reporting. All you have for sure are the fact of the firings and the rumors surrounding it. A fair reporter would include the facts, explain what is rumor and wait for the story to develop before concluding malfeasance - but 'fair' isn't what you are interested in, is it?

Hypocrite.

[phank]

I read your links and others - they have lots of rumor and little else. So your version of 'balanced reporting' is nothing more than rumor and innuendo with a token fact thrown in - or were you meaning to highlight the utter lack of professionalism in reporting based on rumor and little else?

Face it, you're the one guilty of poor reporting. All you have for sure are the fact of the firings and the rumors surrounding it. A fair reporter would include the facts, explain what is rumor and wait for the story to develop before concluding malfeasance - but 'fair' isn't what you are interested in, is it?

Hypocrite.

Technically you are entirely correct. Amazingly enough, not ONE of the commissioners is willing to come out publicly and say "I'm getting rid of these people because my religion wants different programming content." In fact, nobody will EVER say that.

So what we have here is:
1) Indirect but very real pressure on APT to air more creationism and specifically more bogus history.
2) The new commissioner who kicked off this pogrom just happens to have been a conservative talk-radio host.
3) Those fired just happened to refuse to alter their programming to become more right-wing religious.
4) The nominal complaint is that by NOT pushing conservative Christianity, the APT people were not "balanced". "Balance" is a codeword for pushing conservative religion, and those fired know it, those quitting know it, the commissioners know it, and the reporter knows it. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

Now, I agree we should wait to see who replaces those people, what their background are, and how the APT programming changes. It's always possible that everyone involved, looking at the few facts available, are jumping to the wrong conclusions. I agree that right now there is lots of rumor, there are ominous patterns to what is going down, but it's like looking at storm clouds on the horizon. We don't KNOW if they mean rain, it's still dry HERE, storm clouds do not ALWAYS mean rain, it's all rumor, so lets just pretend there are no clouds because noticing them is "hypocritical."

I continue to maintain that there is sufficient reason here to be concerned, but not yet reason to protest. I personally thought that the APT people were doing an excellent job. I'll be watching any programming change with interest.

[Teallaura]

Did you also know that Pizzaro suggested adding "Voices of Creation" to the line up in September? No? Funny thing if he's being fired over evolution....

Or that there is a question regarding what exactly Todd Gray recommended as Pizzaro reported one thing and one of the commissioners says Gray told him something else? No? Maybe it's nothing - maybe not, but a fair person gets the whole story before making a definitive conclusion.

Here are the minutes to the meetings in question:

http://www.wbhm.org/News/2012/APTdocuments.html

A timeline of events (read from the bottom up):

http://www.wbhm.org/News/2012/APTVfirings.html

Before and after mission statements - note major change of emphasis:

http://www.wbhm.org/News/2012/APTVfirings.html

Now, I have no doubt something is going on here but I've got enough sense to know I don't have enough information to start making accusations. Maybe the commissioners are in the wrong - or maybe they know something you don't. Or maybe they really do just want to go in a new direction (I agree that sounds more like a platitude than an explanation) - the fact is we don't know enough yet to have a good guess at which, if any, is correct.

As for the accusation I made of hypocrisy on your part, I do not retract it. You were the one that titled this thread 'Balanced Reporting' - and proceded to provide anything thing but. That is hypocrisy.

[phank]

Now, I have no doubt something is going on here but I've got enough sense to know I don't have enough information to start making accusations. Maybe the commissioners are in the wrong - or maybe they know something you don't. Or maybe they really do just want to go in a new direction (I agree that sounds more like a platitude than an explanation) - the fact is we don't know enough yet to have a good guess at which, if any, is correct.

I agree. I consider the signs ominous, but currently they are only signs. We must wait to see what happens.

As for the accusation I made of hypocrisy on your part, I do not retract it. You were the one that titled this thread 'Balanced Reporting' - and proceded to provide anything thing but. That is hypocrisy.

I was referring to the APT content, which often refers to current events. NOT to the newspaper reporting of the current reorganization. I note that (as I said) this was instigated by a former talk-radio conservative host. I note that all of these commissioners have been appointed by Republican governors. I note that Alabama is a deeply religious, deeply conservative state, second only to Utah in Republican majority in national elections. I note that APT was doing a very good job in the past and (as you yourself pointed out) supported "Voices of Creation." They have been entirely balanced, but the Official Explanation for the firings and quittings has been that they were NOT balanced.

Now, I can connect these dots, and I have done so. You may disagree. You may even prefer the picture they produce.

[Teallaura]

Which would have been fine if you'd just admitted it was speculation on your part - but you made direct accusations unsupported by anything more than rumor and innuendo and then named the silly thread 'Balanced Reporting' (a misnomer since the issue isn't reporting at all) as if the reporting were skewed. It's still hypocrisy to condemn X while doing X yourself.

[phank]

OK, whatever. You win the discussion.

[Zero Tolerance]

OK, whatever. You win the discussion.

Wow, is that a concession? On the internet?

Mind Status: BLOWN!

[phank]

Wow, is that a concession? On the internet?

Mind Status: BLOWN!

Well, I presented the available indirect evidence (and anyone living in Alabama, familiar with the appeal of Judge Roy Moore, etc. knows which way the wind blows) that suggested that APT is under pressure to move to the right of Fox. The entire editorial staff didn't quit or get fired by accident. And Teallaura points out, quite correctly, that this is all indirect evidence and for all we know might be completely misleading, and not follow the trend everything else around here has followed.

So what more can be said except I can read the writing on the wall and she won't. End of discussion.

[Teallaura]

It's not exactly an earth shattering shake up - local media isn't paying all that much attention to it.

Now we get to hear how WSFA and the Montgomery Advertiser are conservative mouthpieces, I suppose...

[Zero Tolerance]

Well, I presented the available indirect evidence (and anyone living in Alabama, familiar with the appeal of Judge Roy Moore, etc. knows which way the wind blows) that suggested that APT is under pressure to move to the right of Fox. The entire editorial staff didn't quit or get fired by accident. And Teallaura points out, quite correctly, that this is all indirect evidence and for all we know might be completely misleading, and not follow the trend everything else around here has followed.

So what more can be said except I can read the writing on the wall and she won't. End of discussion.

Yeah, I lived in Alabama, and I fantasize going back. That's what drew me to this topic.