SAN FRANCISCO — A national conference of homosexual journalists is
questioning whether reporters and editors should even bother seeking
comments and viewpoints of those opposing the homosexual political
agenda.
Though the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, which
concluded its 10th anniversary conference here Sunday, bills itself as a
professional, and not activist, organization, the necessity of striving
for balanced coverage was hotly debated.
In a panel featuring top news executives, Michael Bradbury, managing
editor of the Seattle Gay News, asked, “We have a tendency to always
seek an opposing point of view for gay and lesbian civil rights issues.
… How does the mainstream press justify that?”
The session’s moderator, CBS correspondent and NLJGA member Jeffrey
Kofman, jumped in: “The argument (is): Why do we constantly see in
coverage of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues the
homophobes and the fag-haters quoted in stories when, of course, we
don’t do that with Jews, blacks, et cetera?”
Asked for her opinion, panelist Paula Madison, vice president of
diversity at NBC and news director for the NBC’s New York City affiliate
WNBC, responded: “I agree with him. I don’t see why we would seek out
… the absurd, inane point of view just to get another point of view.”
Kofman said: “All of us have seen and continue to see a lot of
coverage that includes perspectives on gay issues that include people
who just simply are intolerant and perhaps not qualified as well.”
When he threw the question to panelist Jerry Roberts, managing editor
of the San Francisco Chronicle (and not an NLGJA member), Roberts struck
a more traditional journalistic posture.
“In terms of political, civil rights, legal issues, the Knight
Initiative (a recent California ballot measure opposing homosexual
marriage), curriculum issues in schools, … I think those are not
settled issues necessarily, and we do have an obligation in presenting a
fair and accurate and balanced report of news to include voices that
disagree,” he said. “But in terms of fringe voices, I think it’s a
judgment call.”
Although individual members shy away from the activist label, the
NLGJA conference itself fostered a spirit of homosexual advocacy.
Leaders from homosexual groups addressed the reporters, editors and
producers — while no representatives of pro-family groups opposed to
homosexuality were invited to share their viewpoint.
Professional homosexual advocates such as Evan Wolfson, senior staff
attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, guided the
journalists on how better to serve the cause they share. Wolfson
repeatedly derided conservative groups such as the
Family Research
Council and questioned the need to seek comment from them on homosexuality-related stories.
“The most important thing for us to do is keep talking, and to keep challenging people’s understanding, and give them real information. [You should] not allow Family Research Council junk —- like “Marriage has always been the same thing for 6,000 years and now the gays are changing it” —- to go unquestioned,” Wolfson said at plenary session on “Gays, Family and Marriage.”
Another NLGJA panel devoted to the campaign against conservative talk-show host
Dr. Laura Schlessinger was bereft of critics of the
“Stop Dr. Laura” campaign to keep her TV talk show off the air.
The show began airing Monday.
Cathy Renna, director of regional media and community relations for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said that none of the 50 TV shows already taped by Schlessinger deal with homosexuality. Dr. Laura has “been defanged,” Renna said gleefully.
Citing the corporations that have dropped Schlessinger as a commercial sponsor, John Aravosis, the creator of the
“StopDrLaura.com” website used to coordinate protests against her, said, “we’ve won already, as far as I’m concerned.”
But lesbian Robin Tyler, also with “StopDrLaura.com,” insisted that Schlessinger must be knocked off the air — even if she self-censors by avoiding homosexual-related topics. Tyler said she’ll keep up the attack against Paramount Television, producer of the Dr. Laura TV show, “until we don’t promote homophobes like we don’t promote racists.”
As with past NJLGA conferences, the 10th anniversary gathering was heavily funded by media corporations, which also recruited at the event. Among the sponsors were: Hearst Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Inc., CBS News, Gannett Foundation, CNN, Bloomberg News, NBC News, the Dallas Morning News, FOX News Network, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Inc., Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the San Jose Mercury News.
ABC News’ Peter Jennings was slated to speak at the NLGJA event, but canceled due to a scheduling conflict. George Stephanopoulos, ABC News commentator and former aide to President Clinton, addressed the group by satellite hook-up.
Read Joseph Farah’s column,
Activist-journalists out of the
closet
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