Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff has some interesting comments about the media and the legislature in his latest newsletter. Here’s what he has to say:
“Lean and hungry, the Capitol press corps can’t find a lot of fresh meat at this time of year. So like bored housecats, many reporters have taken to playing with their food.
“To wit: Earlier this month, the minority party announced plans to introduce several health-care proposals. Here’s how the Denver Post described the announcement: ‘Republicans took their first jabs at major health care reform proposals Monday, setting up for a hot-blooded battle when the legislature convenes next month.’
“Not to be outdone, the Rocky Mountain News provided an equally breathless account of our response: ‘[The Republicans’] ideas immediately drew fire from Democrats, signaling a potential fight in the legislature over how to extend health insurance coverage and hold down costs.’ The Colorado Springs Gazette took the same tack, declaring that the GOP plan had been ‘criticized immediately by top Democrats.’
“Here’s what I actually said: ‘Reforming health care will be one of our top priorities in 2008. Coloradans want us to improve quality, reduce costs, and expand access – and they want us to work together to achieve those goals. That’s why we welcome our Republican colleagues to this debate – and why we pledge to give each of their proposals full consideration. Health-care reform doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. The quality of your idea should matter more than the color of your jersey.’
“Fortunately, the Denver Post’s editorial board was closer to the mark: ‘It’s a welcome dialogue and we were particularly happy to see the open spirit in which the GOP initiatives were greeted.’ The Democratic response was judged ‘both fair and wise.’
“The era of good feelings didn’t last long. Last week, a Post reporter called to ask whether the 2008 elections would make our legislative session especially contentious. No, I said. I expect that most of our major initiatives – including efforts to boost economic development, renewable energy, and early childhood education – will enjoy bipartisan support.
“The House minority leader apparently agreed. Rep. Mike May ’said he doesn’t believe election-year politics will increase the acrimony in the chambers.’
“But the Post was not deterred by our predictions. ‘Election year may put politics on boiler plate,’ the headline warned. ‘Now might be a good time for Colorado Capitol watchers to take their Dramamine.’ The article described a ‘wild ride,’ full of ‘hot-button issues’ and ‘roller coaster loop-de-loops.’ One political consultant exclaimed, ‘It should be some of the best free entertainment in town.’
“Now don’t get me wrong. Democrats and Republicans disagree on a number of important issues. And politics can be, like nature in Tennyson’s telling, ‘red in tooth and claw.’
“On most days, however, the Colorado Capitol is not quite so carnivorous. In 2007, every single priority on the Democratic agenda earned votes from the other side of the aisle. In fact, the most successful bills in the last three years were sponsored by a Democrat in one chamber and a Republican in the other. Many passed with near-unanimous support.
“You wouldn’t know it to read the newspaper. Bipartisan progress usually takes a back page to political intrigue.
“Why does that matter? In part because these ‘he screamed/she screamed’ stories drown out discussions of public policy. Take the presidential race … please. When’s the last time you read about the candidates’ positions on issues rather than their standing in the polls, their finance reports, or their most carping comments?
“The media’s focus on such conflicts feeds public cynicism. The more time politicians spend – or are portrayed as spending – at each other’s throats, the less confidence voters place in representative government.
“The press corps does not bear all or even most of the responsibility for this trend. Talk radio is a much louder culprit. To their credit, print journalists often pitch their editors on longer, more substantive stories – a tough sell for a medium whose competition is growing, market share is shrinking, and resources are drying up.
“Nor is the newspaper coverage wholly off-base. Indeed, what’s most damaging to public confidence is not the coverage but the content: the tenor of political campaigns, the constant toll of fundraising, the misconduct of some politicians themselves. And in public perception, national scandals stain us all.
“On the whole, our State Capitol is a remarkably peaceful and productive place. But relatively few citizens get the chance to see that, by attending legislative hearings or sitting in on our debates.”
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Time will tell whether Romanoff or the news stories he cites better reflect the tone of the 2008 legislative session .
But underlying his newsletter is a common complaint: Politicians and others who are quoted regularly by the media often feel their voice isn’t really reflected in the stories about them.
Fortunately for Romanoff and others like him, the Internet offers a way to speak unfiltered to our collective audiences — although often not with the same reach and visibility as the media has.
I encourage anyone who regularly — or even occasionally — speaks through the media to distribute your message as widely as you can through the unfiltered medium of the Internet. At least you know the people who see your message there will know exactly what you said.
That’s my two cents’ worth. What’s yours?