Judge Rules Against Enfield In Church Dispute

by John Dankosky – In a slightly bizarre bit of timing, a judge ruled on Memorial Day (when schools are closed) that the town of Enfield will not be allowed to hold its graduation ceremonies at First Cathedral Church in Bloomfield (The Hartford Courant’s Susan Campbell has more).  The topic prompted heated debate on our program a few weeks ago, when the lawsuit was filed by the ACLU to stop the ceremony from going forward – and its still drawing comments online.

Vincent McCarthy, counsel for the Enfield Public Schools from the American Center for Law & Justice, said that he plans to appeal the decision.  Many listeners found it curious that a evangelical Christian religious organization – founded by Pat Robertson and others – would take up the case for the school, which claimed the use of the church was a monetary decision.  Several wondered if the ACLJ would have gotten behind Enfield’s use of a giant mosque to house the event.

But, we got a fair number of, “what’s the big deal?” questions from listeners, too.  And the ACLU seemed unclear on whether the space would have been appropriate if completely “secularized” for the occasion (it’s unlikely, however, if that could have been accomplished).  As it stands, Judge Janet Hall sided with the plaintiffs, and Enfield – which doesn’t really have a plan “B” – will have to find a new place to hold graduation ceremonies.

Read more in Producer Libby Conn’s “Producer’s Note” from this episode of Where We Live.

Leaving Libby Conn

by John Dankosky - At the end of each Where We Live, I read the names of the two people who make this program happen.

Now, I’m the one who’s lucky enough to get to sit and have conversations with interesting people about important topics each day – but the show works because of the talent and imagination and plain hard work of Senior Producer Catie Talarski and producer Libby Conn.  They’re the ones who shape the ideas, and cajole the guests into spending time with you on the radio.

The Catie Talarski Trio, L to R - Libby Conn Franklin, bass; John Dankosky; drums; Catie Talarski, piano

Of all the many teams I’ve been a member of - this one has been the very best.  Like a great jazz trio…playing off each others’ strengths, and knowing each others’ weaknesses.

Sadly, after today’s show – our team is changing.  Libby Conn is leaving us for new adventures in the Midwest.

Libby came to WNPR by way of Duke’s Documentary Studies program – one of the best places to learn how to tell a story on the radio.  And that’s what she did for us (including this one for NPR’s “All Tech Considered”).

She quickly became our “futurist” – you could tell it was a Libby show if it was called, “The Future of…” something.   She let you get inside the heads of ”the big thinkers,” and take part in the big conversations that public radio listeners love.

Now, periodically, you’ll still hear Libby Conn’s name mentioned on WNPR – in part, because Colin McEnroe has named a whole studio after her – but also because she’s gonna keep working with us on some of these “big idea” projects from her new base in St. Louis.

But what we’ll miss here is her kindness, openness, energy and intelligence in the newsroom.

Personally I’ll miss 11:30 each day, when I could reliably count on Libby to be the one person most ready for take-out Thai food. So, thank you Elizabeth Conn Franklin, we’ll miss you.  And best wishes to you and your equally brilliant husband, Joe. But we won’t say goodbye.

Besides…I’m pretty sure you have no idea where you car keys are…we’ll see you again in about five minutes.

DJ Libby Conn in a "Hallelujah" moment at "Catie Talarski's Radio Adventure Theater"

National Republican Senatorial Committee Swipes WNPR Photo For Attack Ad

Side By Side Screenshots of NRSC ad, and Chion Wolf photo

by John Dankosky – I hadn’t seen this new online ad attacking Richard Blumenthal for his Vietnam comments until it was sent to me by Susan Lund, producer for NPR’s Talk of the Nation.  She was getting me ready for my conversation about the Blumenthal/McMahon Race with Neal Conan and Ken Rudin, the “Political Junkie” on today’s program.   They were planning to play some of the ad on the program – to show how the race is “heating up.”

But when I watched it, what I saw about halfway through made my jaw drop…then I picked up the phone to Washington.

The NRSC had stolen a photo by WNPR’s Chion Wolf, taken of Blumenthal in our studios after an appearance on Where We Live in early 2008.

I recognized it right away, because it’s rare to catch a politician – like Blumenthal, who is normally so guarded – in a moment of  open-mouthed laughter (I’m not sure what was so funny).

If you’re interested in seeing the video – look soon, because I’ve requested that it be taken down immediately, pending an edit.  WNPR doesn’t let political organizations use our images (or words, or sounds) without permission – and we certainly don’t want our images used in a partisan attack ad.

It’s made me think about the power of images and words and how they can be manipulated – and also about intent.  I don’t think the NRSC knowingly used a copyrighted image to attack a rival politician.  But sometimes, people do things they didn’t really mean to – and I’ve always felt it’s best to take them at their word and accept their apology for their mistake, their misstep or their misstatement.

Hmmm….

UPDATE: The NRSC was good enough to take down the ad from their website, and the accompanying YouTube Link.  They were prompt and courteous in granting WNPR’s request.

What’s Next For UConn?

by John Dankosky – Wednesday’s Where We Live looks at the brief and turbulent UConn career of Mike Hogan.  He’s heading back to the Midwest, and some at the University of Illinois are already upset that he’s taking a $620,000 salary as that school raises tuition.

Hogan’s penchant for spending state money on personal luxuries is well documented in stories by The Connecticut Mirror’s Bob Frahm and this op-ed by one of our guests, Jonathan Pelto.  But beyond any outrage over Hogan’s quick and lucrative exit, we’d like to find out what’s next for the state’s flagship university.

Now that the UConn Health Center project has been approved, what other investments are expected to be made?  With former President Phil Austin temporarily taking the reins, what does the state want in a new, permanent, top official?  And, what kind of public relations problem does the school face when new numbers come out showing that the list of highest-paid state employees all have UConn attached to their titles?

Join the conversation – what should we be looking for in a new president, and is the school headed in the right direction?  We especially want to hear from you if you’re a student at UConn.  Call 860-275-7266, email wherewelive@wnpr.org or leave a comment here.

Times Public Editor To Look At Blumenthal Story

by John Dankosky – Turns out the New York Times Public Editor is looking into the Blumenthal story, and whether it gave the full account, according to Joe Strupp at Media Matters.

Full Blumenthal Video Changes Picture; McMahon Lends Helping Hand

by John Dankosky – For those of you who haven’t seen it (and I assume that many of you are occupied with more pressing daily tasks than figuring out the latest political twist in Connecticut) I present the story that our excellent colleague Sue Haigh of the AP has written, which includes reference to the video below.  It shows the full version of the Richard Blumenthal speech, which begins with him accurately stating his service “during the Vietnam era.”  Unlike The New York Times, which seemed uninterested in letting us know where the original video came from, Sue clearly points out that it comes from “a Republican opponent.”

Whaaa?  A Linda McMahon video that helps Dick Blumenthal?  Well, it’s on her page.  As our conversation with NPR’s David Folkenflik points out, even the media is unsure of how best to handle issues like this…but I will say that the AP has come closest to telling us the “full” story of Blumenthal’s admitted misstatement.  Several listeners and blog posters have called Blumenthal a “liar” – you can judge for yourself:

PS – Best headline for this updated story comes from Daniela Altimari on The Courant’s Capitol Watch Blog:

Blumenthal and Vietnam, the director’s cut

Has The Media Become The Story Once Again?

by John Dankosky – Our colleague at The Connecticut Mirror, Mark Pazniokas got it just right with his overview story titled:

Pazniokas at Blumenthal Press Conference - Photo Chion Wolf

Just another day of politics in the Land of Steady Habits

It was a remarkable Tuesday, to be sure – with media swarming around Senate hopeful and current Attorney General Richard Blumenthal all day long (including our own Diane Orson, reporting for NPR)…only to be chased to a story that’s probably a bigger deal here in Connecticut.  As WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reports, Susan Bysiewicz’s bid to replace Blumenthal as AG may have ended with a unanimous supreme court ruling against her.

It’s shocking that in just a few months, some of the political titans of the Connecticut Democratic party have been toppled (Chris Dodd), wounded or rebuffed.

Frankly, though, I’m more interested right now in the story that David Folkenflik of NPR is covering in his “Media Circus” blog.  There’s this recurring theme that somehow, the Connecticut press corps fell down on the Blumenthal story.  He writes:

…the episode is something of an embarrassment for the press corps, too. It turns out several news outlets have veered between accurately presenting his military record in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and reporting, unwarrantedly, that he served in Vietnam.

He goes on to list the many factual errors that have made their way into print, and then into a kind of “cloud biography” that – while not official – is easy for some in the press to grab onto.

I’m with Colin McEnroe, who challenges our local media to find any other instances in our dealings with Blumenthal that would suggest he’s trying to convince people of a record he doesn’t have.  Look, I can say that WNPR hasn’t parroted false information about his record…but I can only speak for the last 16 years here.

I’m also in agreement with Brian Frederick at Media Matters, who wonders if the bigger story isn’t what the media overlooked in the case of Blumenthal, but what it might be missing in the campaign of Linda McMahon.  It’s a question I asked state GOP Chair Chris Healy on the show yesterday, and one that I think still needs some answers.

Court Rules Against Bysiewicz

Photo by Chion Wolf

The Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz does not meet the minimum statutory qualifications to run for attorney general.

This comes after a lower court ruling said that Bysiewicz had proven she actively practiced law in Connecticut for the required ten years.

The ruling ends the Bysiewicz campaign for attorney general just four days before the Democratic State Convention, apparently throwing the nomination to the remaining Democrat in the race, George Jepsen.

Jeff Cohen talks to Lucy Nalpthanchil on WNPR’s All Things Considered.   Stay tuned for more from Capital Region Reporter Jeff Cohen.

UPDATE: Bysiewicz released this statement on the ruling:

“I am tremendously disappointed with the court’s decision overturning Judge Sheldon’s ruling and I strongly disagree with the decision both on the eligibility and the constitutionality issue. However, I do respect the rule of law and will abide by it.”

Blumenthal Reactions Keep Coming

by John Dankosky – You can find full coverage of the fallout from the New York Times article about Richard Blumenthal from WNPR and our partners at The Connecticut Mirror and WNYC on YourPublicMedia.org.

You can also join a lively discussion of today’s Where We Live with your comments.

And check out Colin McEnroe’s blog today, where he lays out a series of interesting interactions with the Times reporter who broke the story.  With as big a hit as the local press seems to be taking for “missing” this story, I think the genesis of the story is very important.  As usual, Colin is right on the money.

Also, listen for WNPR’s Diane Orson on NPR’s All Things Considered today at 5:15 p.m.

The Case Of Eddie And The Reporter

Mayor Eddie Perez in Court - Stephen Dunn, Hartford Courant

by John Dankosky - We’ve been getting questions from reporters and listeners about why WNPR’s Jeff Cohen, one of the reporters responsible for uncovering the corruption case against Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez while at the Hartford Courant, isn’t covering the trial for WNPR.  Instead, our All Things Considered Host and Correspondent Lucy Nalpathanchil is there, giving us frequent updates.

Well, it’s complicated and frustrating…and worth an explanation.

Jeff came to WNPR as Capital Region Reporter after years of covering the city for the newspaper, including a remarkable series of stories about the mayor done with other Courant staffers. These stories led directly to a criminal investigation which resulted in two arrests, and now the trial.   Because of that thorough reporting effort, he’s been named as a “possible witness” by Perez lawyer Hubert Santos.

Mr. Santos has not said definitively if he’ll try to call Jeff to the stand.  But the threat is serious enough to keep Jeff off the story.  Why, you may wonder, does it matter if a reporter’s name comes up as a potential witness?  Why can’t he still cover the trial?

The short answer is – for now – that our journalist’s code of ethics keeps Jeff away from reporting on a story that he may be a part of.  We’ve come to this decision after substantial soul-searching and conversations with respected people in our field.  The three ethics codes we adhere to at WNPR are compiled by The Society of Professional Journalists, Public Radio News Directors Inc., and the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ). A key phrase that each has in common:

Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived

We’ve decided – for now – that Jeff can’t cover the Perez trial, because we want to avoid the appearance that his reporting might be clouded by his potential involvement in the case.  Now, I hired Jeff because he’s one of the most capable, honest and ethical reporters I know.  In my mind, there’s no conflict.  But we need to avoid the appearance of conflict in the public, and the possibility that the stories he writes during the trial may become part of the trial itself.  Among the other key elements of the SPJ ethics code is the following:

Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed

And we take that very seriously.  At this point, we’ve decided it’s the right thing to let our other talented reporter (Lucy) tell you the stories that are coming out of this important trial in the city’s history.  We will also continue to consider whether Connecticut’s journalist shield law will keep Jeff from having to testify – despite any threats from Mr. Santos.

The purpose of that law is to recognize the special place that journalism holds in society.  It’s a responsibility to inform the public – to dig deep and to seek the truth.  Jeff’s reporting with The Courant helped to shine light on an important story for our community – a story that our colleague Colin McEnroe says really “matters” for everyone in the state who looks to the capital for leadership.  We believe that the shield law applies in this case and insulates Jeff from the witness stand.

In this case, it’s a shame that one of the state’s best reporters is unable to cover the trial.  This is especially troubling at a time when so many media outlets have lost reporters through newsroom layoffs and consolidations.  Now, one more voice for the public may have to stay silent.

As I consider our next move, I’ll be thinking about this line from the code compiled by the CCJ:

Professional electronic journalists should defend the independence of all journalists from those seeking influence or control over news content

Amen.