Key to being a successful journalist is thick skin plus adult-level social skills that enable the reporter to approach protentional interview subjects without making an ass of oneself.
Chase Woodruff at Colorado Newsline clearly skipped Don’t Be A Dick 101 and other required ethics courses that teach, or at least used to teach aspiring journalists how to set aside their personal biases and ignorance before reporting on a subject.
Joe O’Dea, who tweeted yesterday that he wants to “build bridges” and “rebuild our discourse,” walked away when I tried to interview him this morning. His campaign staff stepped in and told me I wouldn’t be allowed to ask him a few questions. https://t.co/AFUXVebI1j
— Chase Woodruff (@dcwoodruff) August 23, 2022
Oh Boo Hoo.
Slamming a candidate’s staffers for refusing an interview because of your biased behavior, then ranting on Twitter in a clearly biased manner and insulting the candidate just proves their point.
O’Dea clearly stated in his own tweet he’s willing to build bridges with those who will unite in rebuilding the economy. Nowhere did he signal a willingness to be harassed by partisan advocate hacks like Woodruff.
Getting one’s gender-affirming under clothes in a wad and pitching Twitter temper tantrums is the very oppositive of O’Dea’s point.
Serious journalism and advocacy don’t mix, Woodruff. Pick one.