Much like similar press memos during the RNC, the city outlined a series of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for reporters. While they were welcome to take notes during, and to enjoy refreshments after, the Mayor’s remarks, they would be prohibited from engaging with attendees in line outside the Public Auditorium, where the speech is to take place. They would also be prohibited from attempting to interview the Mayor before or after his address. Additionally, they would be prohibited from attempting to interview attendees after the address.
“That is, in a word, absurd,” the Press Club wrote, in its statement, “What is more basic than reporters asking people what they think after watching an elected official make his case?”
After Plain Dealer reporter Rachel Dissell shared the memo on social media Tuesday morning — the sharing of which was itself in defiance of a rule: the information was “FOR MEDIA ONLY” — reporters and free press advocates circulated it widely.
They were dumbfounded at its contents and its framing. “Rules of Engagement” is of course a military term, directives for troops that often pertain to the appropriate use of force.
“Are we enemy combatants?” one reporter mused. Does Jackson consider us his troops, another wondered.
In response to the uproar, the city issued an amended version of the rules which allowed that reporters would now be permitted to interview attendees after the Mayor’s remarks. It emphasized what had already been known: that even though Jackson would not be interviewed before or after his address, he would make himself available to the press on Thursday. Further, the amended version recast one of its earlier “Donts”: the prohibition against “roam[ing] around” during the Mayor’s remarks was “due to decorum.”
“We remain alarmed,” said the Press Club, in any case, “that public officials, elected by the public and paid by the public, would show so little regard for the public with those original ‘rules.’ When elected officials try to dictate news coverage, the people who ultimately are damaged are the people who read, watch and listen to that coverage.”
Full statement below.
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2018.
I had Free Eventbrite tickets to this event since early September, but cancelled Monday after it became obvious that this was just another CLE political shit-show, that could, and should be reduced to a simple press release from the Mayor’s office.
I attended the Mayor’s remarks in March 2018 at Old Stone Church’s ‘Hope for the City’ program, and it was pretty much an hour of platitudes, before a fawning group of downtown business types. If it wasn’t for the free church-ladies homemade lunch, it would have been a totally wasted hour. Even Rev. Dr. R. Mark Giuliano let the Mayor slide on neighborhood social justice, and rising homicide issues.
Pathetic, this BS Racist mayor and its staff has to go. Other Cities around the country has far outpaced Cleveland while this clown and his posse made the Airport a ghost town, choked the life out of our sports teams, favors out ot town businesses and harassess its own and raises taxes at every corner he can. He and his posse now want a gag order on the press, right !
A simple question becomes extraordinary when it cannot be asked.