An open secret in Washington, D.C., journalism was unexpectedly shared with frustrated voters across the country on Sunday’s edition of NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Anyone who’s ever watched an elected official from either major political party be interviewed by a serious journalist has probably angrily asked aloud, “Why don’t they ask him about XYZ?!” Or, “Why did they let him get away with that answer?!”
One of the most obvious and serious reasons is time constraint. Reporters, whether on TV or print, are almost always only allowed a small window of time to ask elected officials a set of questions.
But one of the other lesser known reasons is access. Competition in political journalism is fierce and having access to big names in D.C. is everything. If a congressman thinks he’s treated unfairly or too aggressively by a reporter, he may simply choose to give his time to someone he thinks is more fair (i.e., more “friendly”).
Host of “Meet the Press” Chuck Todd admitted the sad fact during a roundtable discussion with political satirists.
“I watch you and everybody else when somebody comes on [your show] and I don’t know how you do it,” comedian Lewis Black said to Todd. “Because I’d be barking at them. Because they sit there and go, ‘blah, blah, blah,’ and you sit there [and listen to it].”
“We all sit there because we all know the first time we bark, it’s the last time they do the show,” said Todd. “There’s something where … it’s the last time. Nobody will ever come on your show. There is that balance sometimes.”
It was a frank admission of something everyone in New York and D.C. media circles is aware of. But that it was said on a national show for everyone else to hear is unusual and commendable, even though it likely won’t boost the public’s trust in the news media.
