Race Inquiry for Debates Upsets Reporters

[southernleftylady]

ST. LOUIS - Journalists applying to the Commission on Presidential Debates for credentials to cover the presidential debates are being asked to provide their racial data, a move that has some upset.
In addition to requesting that applicants provide their name, Social Security (news - web sites) or passport number, gender, address and country and date of birth, the online application asks respondents to describe their race using one of the following: American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, black, not of Hispanic origin, Hispanic, white, not of Hispanic origin. A drop-down list gives respondents the option of not providing the information.

John Butler, news director at St. Louis radio station KMOX, said he found the question offensive.

"Here's the deal: It's not their ... business," he said. "We're journalists, period. We're not white, black, green, purple, male or female. End of story."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=13&u=/ap/20040909/ap_on_el_pr/debates_race_question

[whistle]

1. The New World Order has to be tested here at home first....

...it seems.

[gratuitous]

2. What? Did they miss this the first time around?

It was in Arizona that the Bushies were inquiring about the race of reporter Mamta Popat. Did St. Louis sleep through the incident? Or did they think that it wouldn't happen to them?

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/32301.php

[Fridays Child]

3. The BC campaign is straight up lying about this.

From the article:

"A Bush-Cheney campaign spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that it was not the campaign policy to ask for information about race."

That's exactly what they did to a photographer assigned by the Arizona Daily Star to cover Cheney's recent stop in Tucson. I believe the photogrqpher was of Eastern Indian descent. This happened in August and was well documented.

[cally]

4. Why ask about gender or race?

It's just insane. Why the media allows this is beyond my comprehension. I just don't understand.

[gratuitous]

5. My guess

They "allow" it because the Bushies are a mean-spirited, vindictive bunch. Question their decisions? Access is cut off. For outside the Beltway folks, their awe at having an actual administration figure come and talk to them seems to override their journalistic sense. Condi was in town earlier this week to speak at some international relations conference and to pick up some pin money. The Oregonian newspaper got a chance to sit down with her, and from the looks of the story they filed, the toughest question they asked her was "What's your favorite color?"

[Name removed]

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