Pollina’s Media Ethics
January 15, 2008
I’m glad to see that the Burlington Free Press and WCAX finally got on board with the story about the Progressive Party’s candidate for governor, Anthony Pollina, and his radio show at WDEV. I called WDEV’s star of talk Mark Johnson last week while he was hosting Pollina-the-guest to ask them both about the issue of Pollina being both a radio show host and a political candidate. But, more specifically, I wanted to know what kind of ethical rules they were employing at the station when Pollina-their-colleague paid a visit as Pollina-the-candidate. It’s a conflict that should raise more than a few eyebrows.
Mark Johnson got defensive, as he usually does when questions about the media come up. And while he defended what is certainly his right (and responsibility, I might add) to invite Pollina as a guest since he’s running for governor, Johnson seemed to not understand the concerns about blurring Pollina’s roles at the station – host, guest, advertiser. Or, if you will, how the WDEV news and talk professionals will deal with a candidate who is also a colleague on the dial.
“I’ve only seen Anthony here probably twice in the three years he’s been on the station,” declared Johnson. “It’s not as if we’re hanging out.”
But that’s not the point. The point is that the roles are blurred, as was proven by the typically smooth segues that Johnson served up when moving from talk about Pollina’s radio show to talk about his candidacy. One minute joking about their mutual “boss,” the omnipresent Ken Squier, and the next a question about Pollina’s opinion on matters of the state. Sorry, but it’s just strange. Illegal? No. But strange.
And it’s Pollina who should have understood this from the beginning and not put people like WDEV, Squier and Johnson in the hot seat. In fact, Pollina remained largely silent when I brought the issue up to him on Johnson’s show, basically declaring that he’ll stop the show when he gets too busy with the campaigning.
Pollina should know better. Remember, his show is called “Equal Time,” a title based on the belief that the media lacks fairness. Indeed. And it’s also doesn’t seem real fair that a candidate who works for a media outlet – folksy as it is – can also sit down with that outlet’s news department for an “objective” interview.
Isn’t this the kind of political and corporate media mingling that understandably drives progressives like Pollina crazy about Rupert Murdoch’s empire, most notably Fox News? Imagine the outrage if a Fox News host became a candidate, kept his or her airtime, and then also started appearing on other programs as candidate/guest. Or, if you’d like to bring it home, how about if the same happened with a WCAX personality? Or a Free Press employee?
It just doesn’t pass the smell test. And any good populist progressive should know that.
But now that the story has morphed from me bringing it up on the Mark Johnson Show to now being covered by the mainstream media, Pollina is finally figuring it out. And he’s also listening to the wise words of Squier, who has been clear that he’d like Pollina to find a replacement for his show – and soon. It’s Squier who has built a local radio station that is the pride of Central Vermont, bucking the trends of push-button-pop and all-Brittany-News-all-the-time for a real commitment to all things local. And how ironic that it’s a Prog who’s bringing the ethical stench to his doorstep.
Pollina wants it both ways. He wants us to listen to his words and ignore his actions. Pollina wants us to believe him when he proclaims to be the media underdog but forget that he’s forking over $600 a week to be the media. He wants us to hear his words about campaign finance reform but forget that he balked at that kind for reform when it didn’t suit his personal needs. And he wants us to listen to his rants against the two-party money chase but forget that his party’s main goal right now is to amass $100,000 for him in six weeks.
Not a great start to a progressive candidacy. But it’s not as if Pollina’s been in the business of winning these things.
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Thanks for raising these question, Michael.
Right on! I’m going to get my sleeping bag and hang out at WDEV until this travesty has stopped.
That his show continues has been amazing to me. I don’t know what DEV is thinking. Although it’s clear what he’s thinking — milk this for as long as possible.
What a putz.
First, Why dont ANY of the candidates look into the feasibility of funding a STATEWIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM, which , at this time of astronomical gas prices,( taking a disproportionate toll, I might add, on Vermonters who, statistically, commute longer distances than the national average ) could offer the single most substantial help to Vermonters facing a crippling effect of these energy prices.
Yet we continu to spend money at the rate of 10 million dollars per mile, on average, for new highway construction, which ,in most cases, prevents the funding of 1) public transit and )2 maintaining our EXISTING HIGHWAY SYSTEM
For roughly 20 million dollars, we could increase funding for the CCTA, and link it to the other systems, such as Rural Community Transit, (based in St J) , and Marble Valley Transit (Based in Rutland) . All one needs to know that this is indeed feasible , is to study the yearly operating budgets for the aforementioned systems to see that my estimate is indeed accurate as th the cost of such a system. Yet, sadly , I was the only candidatre running for office the last time around making such a proposal, (which can still be seen if you google me, just for the record.) No one else even did their homework, or they would have seen for themselves that my proposal was, and is, extremely affordable, that is, if we stop building new highways that we really doint need. As for the ” Circ” none of the other candidates seem to have anything to say about this 183 dollar monstrosity ( a third of this money, spent on public transit, could solve most of the traffic snarls in Chittenden county, at the same time that we benefit on a statewide basis from an economic boost in the form of increased disposable income . Instead we watch the politicians wallow in non-issues and un-important “newsflaps”, while ignoring potential solutions that are STARING THEM IN THE FACE, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DO THEIR HOMEWORK !!! Is this leadership, or a poor excuse for it? These are trying economic times for many Vermonters, and when feasible, and practical solutions are not used, simply because none, and I mean none, of the candidates, did their homework, I find this abhorrent, perhaps enough to run again, so politicians, do your homework, and watch out.
Jerry Trudell, former Vermont Congressional Candidate.