First, a note: I've had some great conversations with friends since first publishing this on my blog at InterstateQ.com. I'm glad Columbia's mainstream press is covering this. So often, Mike Rogers' reporting goes unnoticed by traditional news outlets. This time, that isn't so. Any coverage is better than no coverage, yes, but cowardly journalism deserves to be called out. -M.C.
On Monday, Washington, D.C.-based blogger and activist Mike Rogers outed as gay South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer. With a 100 percent rack record outing anti-gay, closeted politicians, Rogers' reporting can't be ignored.
Try telling that to NBC affiliate WIS 10 in Columbia, the Palmetto State's capital.
In a report by Jack Kuenzie (pictured right), Rogers' track record is ignored. His past reporting is absent from Kuenzie's account.
In the report, various websites reporting Rogers' claims were quickly flashed across the screen, including Rogers' BlogActive, Advocate, Towleroad, Huffington Post, On Top Magazine and Q-Notes [my employer] but failed to mention Rogers' site by name or the blogger himself.
Who got the precious airtime, you ask? Bauer aides and political activists aligned with him (and one, perhaps unbiased public policy professor, Dr. Robert Oldendick, from the University of South Carolina). At the end of his report, Kuenzie says a party activist told him the outing claims "are not bound by the truth" and should be "ignored by voters" and "ignored by the mainstream media."
Maybe if Kuenzie dealt more in matters of truth, and if his reporting were accurate and complete, Columbia's local NBC affiliate couldn't be accused of covering for its state's second-highest-ranking executive?
Just in case you'd like to politely ask Jack Kuenzie to file a more accurate and complete follow-up story, you can email him at jkuenzie@wistv.com.
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7 Comments
Why would he want to file a more accurate story? He's a member of "the so-called mainstream media."
Ehh, I wish I knew more about Bauer to know whether or not to be angry about him being closeted. It only bothers me when their record smells.
Phil Reese | September 2, 2009 6:37 PM
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From Advocate.com article:
August 31, 2009
S.C. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer Outed
By Michelle Garcia
"A South Carolina politician with a lengthy antigay voting record who has repeatedly denied that he is gay is lying, according to blogger Mike Rogers."
Rick Sours | September 2, 2009 7:55 PM
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Awesome! Thank you!
Phil Reese | September 2, 2009 9:19 PM
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I say we speed the process of outing male religious leaders, politicians, etc. who are adversarial to the LGBT population by selecting a group of ultra-hot men to seduce them. Since most of them are already cheating on their wives this shouldn't be difficult to accomplish.
Come to think of it I've been looking for a cause to sink my teeth into. In the interests of LGBT community service I volunteer to "interview" the guys wishing to be considered for this task. :)
Nerissa | September 3, 2009 5:23 AM
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Nerissa, this is genius! Our special ops secret force of mega-hot seducer activists!
Phil Reese | September 3, 2009 9:36 AM
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Nerissa, this is genius! Our special ops secret force of mega-hot seducer activists!
Phil Reese | September 3, 2009 9:37 AM
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Isn't it interesting (and maddening) that the mainstream press is FAR more quick to react to the tiniest rumor of a heterosexual dalliance, but seems to need the equivalent of a cache of hidden weapons of mass destruction to deal with the thought that (gasp) ) a certain "conservative" "religious" politician might be gay.
I think that links to the thought on a recent Bilerico thread concerning what is or is not considered libelous/slanderous. Despite much progress, it's still considered much worse to the gay or lesbian than to be heterosexually unfaithful, etc.
Don Sherfick | September 3, 2009 10:54 AM
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