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Roxanne was an intense dog. She was compact and muscular. When I moved with her to Washington, D.C., strangers on the streets of our urban neighborhood would sometimes ask if she was a pit bull. One little boy asked if she was a hyena.
She wasn’t. Roxanne was a blue heeler. I kept her on a short leash to pass pedestrians who looked anxious.
Some people imagined her into a monster.
“I’m afraid of dogs!” they’d shout and leap into the air. They’d whisk small children skyward. Grocery bags would go flying, tuna cans rolling down the sidewalk.
Roxanne would be startled. Dogs are attracted to sudden movement, and to dropped groceries. Her posture might stiffen. She might lurch to lick at eggs that cracked open on the sidewalk.
To dog-phobic people, this was proof that Roxanne was rabid and their terror was justified. But they brought 90% of that on themselves.
In this campaign season, I feel like Roxanne. It seems that candidates, particularly Republican ones but sometimes others, fear journalists and make the situation worse for themselves, as well as the public.
Sometimes it’s pure performance. Hating “the media” is a value they share with their supporters. It bonds them. It also helps a candidate dodge challenging questions.
When you shun interview requests, it’s very likely that the resulting story won’t reflect your perspective. This will serve as more proof that “the media” has it in for you.
Our colleague Danielle Kurtzleben at NPR wrote a great story about this. She posits that Republican candidates make an exception for local journalists. I think they make exceptions for outlets and reporters they believe won't ask tough questions. Sometimes good journalism comes out of those interviews, the politician perceives the story as fair and the cycle of suspicion ends, to everyone’s benefit.
Sometimes, though, officeholders get away with their dodge for years.
We apparently had a fabulist in charge of pandemic response and the homelessness crisis in the Municipality of Anchorage. My colleague Lex Treinen at Alaska Public Media, and Curtis Gilbert at American Public Media didn’t let that stand. Here’s to them for holding power to account.
Alaska’s most complicated election is now five days away. You can vote now at dozens of locations across Alaska.
Remember that one side of the ballot is the regular primary. Pick one candidate for each race.
The other side is the special election to decide who will fill the remainder of the late Congressman Don Young’s term. There are three candidates. Pick your favorite and, if you like, rank the other two.
We’ve tried to clarify but it’s a complex double election. When in doubt, read the directions.
- Liz Ruskin
lruskin@alaskapublic.org
Follow me on twitter: @lruskin
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