Politics, Piety and the Press: How do Politics and Religion Influence the Media in Northwest Arkansas?

In the 21st century, a politician’s background is pretty much an open book. But the same isn’t necessarily true for the reporters who cover politics, the editors who assign stories and the opinion writers who tell us who to vote for.

All of those people can shape public opinion along the way, whether they intend to or not.

Since the Carter Administration, it has been fashionable for presidential candidates to profess a fundamental religious theology. It’s a platform that appeals to many constituents, but the press — which has the reputation for being liberal — may be of a different mindset.

So the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal decided to poll 15 news editors and opinion writers in the area to learn a little about their background, particularly concerning religion and politics. We figure the public has a right to know what these people think. After all, the news editors decide what will be covered, and the editorial writers espouse their views on a variety of topics.

Who are these people who control the flow of news and opinion in Northwest Arkansas?

Our survey included five people who are exclusively news editors or news directors, three who are specifically editorial writers and five who serve as both news editors and editorial writers.

Two of the people we contacted didn’t answer any of our questions. Shawn Palmer, news director for KFSM, Channel 5, in Fort Smith, said his company wouldn’t allow him to speak to the press. KFSM is owned by the New York Times Co. We also didn’t hear back from Brenda Blagg, a reporter and political columnist at The Morning News in Springdale.

One person in our survey, Jeff Phillips, former news director at KHOG/KHBS, Channels 40/29, in Fayetteville, was no longer employed by the station as of Jan. 14. So we decided not to include his response.

One editorial writer we surveyed said the author of this article should answer the questions himself. We thought that was a good idea, so Bill Bowden filled out the questionnaire and we substituted his media profile for Phillips’.

Of the final 13 respondents, eight were either raised Methodist or currently are Methodist, all are white, and one is female. Most of the 13 either dodged or tip-toed around at least one question. One of the editorial writers said his background was irrelevant and refused to answer the questions pertaining to religion and politics.

We slightly edited a few of the responses, primarily to make them a bit shorter, but we were careful not to change the meaning.

The Gatekeepers

Several news editors told us they have no effect on public opinion. They just assign reporters to cover the stories.

But Hoyt Purvis, a professor of journalism at the University of Arkansas, said news editors who shape public opinion by deciding what stories the public needs to read, view or hear, and how those stories should be played. If a story is on Page 1, it tells the reader that story is important.

Purvis referred to news editors as the “gatekeepers” of the news. He said they “set the agenda” for public discourse and general knowledge of news events in our world at large.

“They make decisions about what gets into the media, whether it’s the bottom of the barrel or how it’s going to be played,” Purvis said. “It’s not so much that the media tell us what to think but that they tell us what to think about. And the media is very influential in that regard.”

Gary Warner, an associate professor of journalism at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, said many aspects of a person’s background affect what they write, whether it’s news coverage or an editorial.

“Experiences, lifestyle, family background, education, are we well traveled people, are we parochial in our background,” Warner said. “All of those things go into making us who we are and affect our judgment on a professional level.”

Purvis said it would be normal for news editors to say they have no affect on public opinion. Journalists are taught to be objective, and most of them take it very seriously. But is objectivity really possible? Even a television reporter who stresses a particular word in an on-air report is telling viewers that word is important for some reason, at least in the mind of the reporter.

“Is there such a thing as complete objectivity?” Purvis said. “Most people think not. But most news organizations will aspire to overall objectivity and non-partisanship.

“I think it’s possible in a broad sense to be relatively objective. But those decisions by those gatekeepers are inevitably influenced by their own experiences and their own backgrounds.”

“We must attempt to be objective,” Warner said. “Be aware of your biases and your prejudices and see that they don’t taint your [news] stories or become part of your story … What you have sometimes is people who won’t give the other side its say.”

Objective vs. Active

When Chancellor John White decided to close the University of Arkansas Press shortly after he arrived in 1998, the Northwest Arkansas Times of Fayetteville began a campaign to save it.

Financially, it might have made sense to close the Press, which was losing $250,000 per year in addition to spending it’s budgeted $250,000 per year. But to many people, it seemed that a lot of money was being spent on the new chancellor’s home and a planned investiture ceremony, and the Press — which published scholarly works by everyone from UA faculty members to former President Jimmy Carter — was more important.

So the Times editors kept the story on Page 1 for days, and the newspaper’s editorial writers told readers why it was important to save the UA Press.

“That decision was mine,” said Mike Masterson, a columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette who was editor of the Times from 1995 to 2000. “To me, it was a very big story, so it deserved to be on the front page, and we had editorials every day saying this was a bad idea … That’s a news editorial decision. It’s subjective.”

Masterson said the news stories helped save the UA Press, but he thought the editorials had more impact.

“When you’re allowed to give your opinion and express your outrage, that will have more of an impact,” he said. “The message was, we’re not going to go away until this is rectified in the public interest.”

Ultimately, the newspaper was successful, and White rescinded his decision.

But the Times may be more proactive in it’s attempts to change things than other newspapers.

Masterson believes that’s one of the roles of a community newspaper.

“Truth plays a big role in journalism for me,” Masterson said. “But the truth isn’t always objective. Your first and foremost objective is the truth.

“A lot of community newspapers don’t have ownership who encourage their journalists to be journalists. I think subjectivity pervades in this process … Objectivity sounds good. I’m all for it, but the truth is all people are the products of their background.”

Religion

In 1994, Arkansas Business, our sister publication in Little Rock, did a similar survey to this one, but it included only opinion writers. Of the 17 people they surveyed, most claimed to have no particular religious affiliation. Also, those 17 people readily answered questions about their religious and political beliefs.

In Northwest Arkansas, that wasn’t the case. The vast majority of people we interviewed claimed to be churchgoers, at least on an occasional basis. Many — primarily the news editors — were reluctant to reveal information about their religious and political beliefs.

In the Arkansas Business article, Paul Greenberg, the editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said his faith completely colors the way he views issues.

“I think every word is affected, including ‘and’ and ‘the,'” said Greenberg, a lifelong devout Jew. “I could go through the paper and look at every editorial and see the effects of particularly Jewish history and Jewish thought in terms of tolerance, social values like the public safety or individual rights, fear of mob rule and appreciation of law, as opposed to lawyers, an almost devout reading of the Constitution in terms of basic law.

“Again and again, almost no topic comes before me in which I am not aware that I am approaching it as someone with my background would approach it — that of a Jew.”

In contrast, one of the editorial writers we polled in Northwest Arkansas said our questions were prying and irrelevant.

“I’m a private person and didn’t answer some of these because they have absolutely nothing — repeat, nothing — to do with any opinions reflected in editorials,” said Jim Morriss, executive editor of The Morning News, who writes editorials for the newspaper. “We didn’t even ask religious affiliations of political candidates when we put together our Election 2002 tab.”

“I think this is a person who just didn’t want to talk to you basically, and this is his way to try to get around it,” Warner said. “All of who we are filters into what we’re writing.”

Profile: Rusty Turner

Age: 41

Employer: The Morning News

Job title: Managing editor

Hometown: Tulsa, but I’ve lived in western Arkansas since 1979.

Marital status: Married for almost 20 years, two kids

Highest level of education: B.A. in journalism, University of Arkansas, 1983

Religious upbringing: Methodist

Current religious affiliation: Methodist

Level of current religious activity: I am an active church member.

Political characterization on social issues: Moderate

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Moderate

Why do you do what you do for a living: The press performs a vital role in an open government, so I believe I work in an industry that provides an important service. It is satisfying to be part of an industry that despite its faults educates, informs, entertains and challenges people on a daily basis. I enjoy writing, editing and learning. I get to do that every day in this job.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: No comment

Comment: I don’t concentrate so much on making opinions as I do on feeding opinions providing facts, context and perspective so that opinions can be formed with as much information as possible. Inevitably, I form opinions of my own, but it is a constant challenge to keep my mind open to different ideas and keep the newspaper’s pages open to them too.

Profile: Kermit Womack

Age: 68

Employer: KERM Inc., which owns KURM AM and FM and KARV AM and FM

Job title: President

Hometown: Rogers

Marital status: Married

Highest level of education: B.S., Sociology, Arkansas Tech University

Religious upbringing: Methodist

Current religious affiliation: Methodist

Level of current religious activity: I work on Sunday morning at KURM, which precludes attending church.

Political characterization on social issues: Conservative views … I strongly believe that government should help people help themselves. It cannot “take people to raise.”

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Government is too big. From education to the military, from city hall to the federal government, too many layers of expensive bureaucracies.

Why do you do what you do for a living: I have always enjoyed (public speaking). I could have retired years ago, but I get up and go to work every day because I enjoy doing it.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Has many good qualities. I fault him, however, for cozying up to the Hispanic segment in an effort to broaden the voter base.

Comment: Government is being run by the special interest groups and lobbies who represent various agendas. Campaign finance reform should be passed to stop contributions purposed in influencing governmental decisions. The social security trust funds should be protected and steps taken to replace future shortfalls. The United States should adopt a sensible immigration policy with manageable ceilings on the number of immigrants admitted to the country. If greater numbers of workers are deemed necessary, admit them under a worker permit system whereby they do not drain the social support funds of America and require employers to participate in a cooperative supervisory role.

Profile: Bill Bowden

Age: 45

Place of employment: Northwest Arkansas Business Journal

Job title: Senior editor

Hometown: Marianna, but Fayetteville for 20 years

Marital status: Single

Highest level of education: Master of Arts degree in journalism

with special emphasis in cultural anthropology, University of Arkansas, 1998

Religious upbringing: Methodist

Current religious affiliation: Non-denominational. I don’t currently belong to a

specific church.

Level of current religious activity: I would probably classify myself as spiritual rather than religious. I do occasionally attend church services, and I have been to a variety of different churches. (I have attended services at the Vatican in Rome, Westminster Abbey in London and African Methodist Episcopal churches in New Orleans and Memphis.) But I have had trouble finding a church that doesn’t center its message on guilt or the threat of burning in hell. I don’t think we need the threat of punishment to push us to God.

Political characterization on social issues: Moderate to liberal

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Moderate to conservative

Why do you do what you do for a living: I think journalism is public service. A free press is essential in a democracy. And, frankly, I enjoy it.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: So far he has done O.K., but I hope he’s through playing war.

Comment: When I was a daily newspaper reporter, I thought I was as unbiased as any reporter could be. But now, I think it’s impossible to be totally objective. Our backgrounds are part of who we are, and it’s not possible to keep that out of print. I think news reporters in Northwest Arkansas do a good job trying to be objective, and that results in largely unbiased reporting.

Profile: Don Michael Burrows

Age: 26

Employer: Northwest Arkansas Times

Job title: Editorial page editor

Hometown: Born in Fayetteville, graduated from Rogers High School

Marital status: Married to Jennifer Lynn Burrows

Highest level of education: Currently completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Arkansas and pursuing a second bachelor’s in either classical studies, history or both

Religious upbringing: United Methodist

Current religious affiliation: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Level of current religious activity: Church attendance

Political characterization on social issues: Liberal

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Moderately liberal

Why do you do what you do for a living: I have long enjoyed both debate and writing, and so writing and editing opinion commentary has been a good match for me. And I enjoy being a part of the debate in the community on important public issues.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Personally likable, fiscally unrealistic, socially misguided.

Comment: Ultimately, I am a lover of opinions — well reasoned, solidly supported opinions. As a columnist, I’m given the opportunity to share my own opinions with readers. As editorial page editor, I am allowed the chance to forge consensus on a very diverse editorial board and present positions of leadership for a community institution, and as an editor I get to read and digest the commentaries and columns of others on the opinion page. In many ways I feel our society has lost the art of meaningful rhetoric, and editorial and op-ed pages in newspapers should provide a stage on which we can attempt to reclaim it.

Profile: Gary Darnell

Age: 39

Employer: NBC 24/51 (KPOM/KFAA)

Job title: News director

Hometown: Born in Lebanon, Mo., although Fayetteville is considered home. With a 2.5 year exception, my family has lived here since 1986.

Marital status: Married to Julianne Darnell. 2 kids: Henry, 7, and Anne Elise, 13

Highest level of education: Bachelor of Science degree, Southwest Missouri State

University in Springfield, 1985

Religious upbringing: Methodist/Baptist

Current religious affiliation: Member Sequoyah United Methodist Church in Fayetteville

Level of current religious activity: I suppose you’d classify me as active. I currently serve as vice president of Sequoyah’s United Methodist Men, currently serving second year as lay leader for the congregation. Try to be active in my youngsters’ events at church. I have participated in several “community” church services (such as Thanksgiving or Christmas services with other churches). I also taught kindergarten Sunday school for several years back when my daughter was younger. It was really a great experience!

Political characterization on social issues: Moderate

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Moderate

Why do you do what you do for a living: I believe in the role of media as a watchdog. Most people don’t have the luxury of “time” to talk with elected officials or check out things going on in their community. So we do that for them several times every day. An important role of our news department is also weather information and being able to communicate not only the forecast but severe weather information when property or lives might be in danger.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I do not. I’m probably like most people in that respect. I am sure that there must be tremendous pressure on anyone who serves in that office, particularly at this time in history. Given the media’s role as a watchdog, I do not believe that we should blindly trust the president or those on Capitol Hill. Two people (or more) can have differing opinions and both still have the best interests of the public in mind.

Comment: (No response)

Profile: George Arnold

Age: 56

Employer: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Job title: Opinion editor — Northwest edition

Hometown: Springdale

Marital status: Married

Highest level of education: Master’s degree in journalism, University of Missouri, 1974

Religious upbringing: Catholic

Current religious affiliation: Catholic

Level of current religious activity: Practicing Catholic

Political characterization on social issues: (Answer is for both this and the next question) Depends on the issues. I try to write from a non-ideological/non-partisan point of view and I try to take a fresh look as events unfold. I hope that makes my opinions unpredictable. (It might also make them inconsistent but, hey, who’s keeping score?)

Political characterization on fiscal issues: (See preceding answer.)

Why do you do what you do for a living: This is the greatest job in the world. I get paid to express my opinions on the issues of the day, from the all-important to the inconsequential. What a fascinating way to make a living.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Again, depends on the issues.

Comment: (No response)

Profile: Kent Marts

Age: 39 5/6ths

Employer: The Benton County Daily Record

Job title: Editor

Hometown: Born in Clarksville, grew up in Springdale

Marital status: Married

Highest level of education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Arkansas State University, 1985

Religious upbringing: No comment

Current religious affiliation: First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),

Bentonville

Level of current religious activity: No comment

Political characterization on social issues: No comment

Political characterization on fiscal issues: No comment

Why do you do what you do for a living: I grew up in the business and

thoroughly enjoy it.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: No comment

Comment: (No response.)

Profile: Jess Smith

Age: 65

Employer: Clear Channel Communications, KIX 104, “Magic” 107.9,

93.3 “The Eagle” and “Hot Mix” 101.9

Job title: News director

Hometown: Born in Columbia, S.C.; high school and college years in

Dallas; Fayetteville for the last 20 years

Marital status: Married

Highest level of education: B.A. in history and sociology, Baylor University, 1959.

Religious upbringing: Episcopal/Baptist

Current religious affiliation: Attend Methodist Church

Level of current religious activity: Sunday morning service

Political characterization on social issues: Moderate to liberal

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Moderate to conservative

Why do you do what you do for a living: For the past 41 years I have been in broadcast journalism and have never felt like I have gone to work a day in my life. I had a window to the world — covered civil rights in the South in the ’60s, news director at the all-news station (KRLD) in Dallas and news and operations manager for the news-talk station in Dallas (WFAA) in the ’70s. Owned K106 in Fayetteville most of the ’80s.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Mixed. He is a good political tactician — but [I] wonder about the depth of his convictions and fear he may be too uncurious for a world leader. But he has a grasp of communicating in a troubled time.

Comment: I am somewhat distressed in the loss of civility in government, media and daily life.

Profile: Mike Masterson

Age: 56

Place of employment: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Job title: Columnist since November, 2000

Hometown: Harrison

Marital status: Single and in a committed relationship

Highest level of education: B.A. in journalism, University of Central Arkansas, 1971 (Also did some advanced non-degree study at Department of Philosophy, Yale University.)

Religious upbringing: Protestant, exposed to many denominations as a child and teenager from fundamentalism to Catholicism. Selected the one that best meshes with my beliefs.

Current religious affiliation: Episcopal

Level of current religious activity: Daily, no, make that moment-by-moment. I believe we are all spiritual beings who spend a brief period inside a perfectly tuned, but temporary and fragile shell.

Political characterization on social issues: A populist.

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Common sense. Like bath water, we should never let out more than we take in.

Why do you do what you do for a living: Because journalism is a calling, and to hopefully make a positive difference while I am breathing and leave behind something worthwhile for those who come afterwards.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Peddling his tank as fast as he can.

Comment: After living parts of my adult life in most sections of this nation, there is no question in my mind that those of us who share Northwest Arkansas as our home are as fortunate as 300,000 hungry kittens in a salmon cannery. We should do all within our power to preserve and even enhance that gift.

And — journalists in Northwest Arkansas and worldwide for that matter, are not, and should never settle for becoming mere stenographers.

Profile: Jim Morriss

Age: 66

Place of employment: The Morning News

Job title: Executive editor

Hometown: Springdale

Marital status: Single

Highest level of education: B.A., journalism

Religious upbringing: Not applicable

Current religious affiliation: My business

Level of current religious activity: My business

Political characterization on social issues: Depends on the issue.

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Ditto

Why do you do what you do for a living: I grew up in the business and like being part of the news-gathering process.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Varies from issue to issue, just as it has with other presidents.

Comment: (No response)

Profile: Kyle Kellams

Age: 39

Employer: KUAF, 91.3 FM, National Public Radio affiliate at the University of Arkansas

Job title: News director

Hometown: Born in Hutchinson, Kan., grew up in Lakeview, Ark.

Marital status: Married

Highest level of education: Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism, University of Arkansas, 1986

Religious upbringing: Episcopalian

Current religious affiliation: Non-denominational

Level of current religious activity: Not a member of any organized church. Let’s call it open-minded.

Political characterization on social issues: Conservative enough to anger my liberal friends and liberal enough to anger my conservative friends. Would famously fail the litmus test for either political party. Prone to change my opinion over time.

Political characterization on fiscal issues: I’d like my savings account to be bigger. Seriously, I don’t think I can properly label in a sentence or two my political characterization on fiscal issues. Leave that for the money folks.

Why do you do what you do for a living: Began listening to radio when I was six (including Jack Buck doing Cardinal baseball, Denny Matthews doing Royals baseball and old reruns of programs like The Lone Ranger) and never really thought about doing anything else.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: Maybe it is old fashioned, but I respect the office. Like any president there are areas of agreement and disagreement. He probably rests easy at night regardless of how I think he’s handling things.

Comment: Although not asked, I’m very much against the designated hitter. I don’t think I play that much of a role in forming public opinion. The people I interview on Ozarks at Large do more of that than me.

Profile: Jeffrey Wood

Age: 32

Employer: Northwest Arkansas Business Journal

Job title: Editor

Hometown: Paragould, but have lived in Northwest Arkansas for 13 years

Marital status: Married to Trish Wood

Highest level of education: B.A. in English, University of Arkansas, 1993

Religious upbringing: Methodist

Current religious affiliation: Inactive

Level of current religious activity: Holiday attendee

Political characterization on social issues: Moderate to liberal

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Conservative

Why do you do what you do for a living: Teachers and veteran journalists inspired me to ask questions and write. Ideally, our work can educate, inspire and even entertain readers. Stories that do none of the three aren’t worth writing — or reading.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: I don’t believe the current economy has as much to do with his politics as it does the last decade of corporate barbarity.

Comment: Reporting that does not ask questions is not journalism. Enterprising stories that elevate discussion, expose corruption or challenge unchecked authority with an objective voice are journalism. I fail to see how this would not apply equally to government and religon.

Profile: Susan Carothers Scantlin

Age: 50

Employer: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Job title: Editor/Northwest Arkansas

Hometown: Born and raised in Little Rock. Resident of Bentonville/Bella Vista area since 1991.

Marital status: Married to Tom Scantlin

Highest level of education: Master’s degree in business leadership and ethics, John Brown University, 2002

Religious upbringing: United Methodist

Current religious affiliation: United Methodist

Level of current religious activity: A member of First United Methodist Church in Bentonville.

Political characterization on social issues: Irrelevant to my responsibilities as editor.

Political characterization on fiscal issues: Irrelevant to my responsibilities as editor.

Why do you do what you do for a living: I’m passionate about the fundamental role of a free press in a democracy. My maternal grandparents were from what’s now the Czech Republic. My earliest recollections include my grandmother sharing her personal experiences of living in a country stripped of personal freedoms and cloistered from objective sources of information. I don’t take these freedoms for granted.

I’m also fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead a dedicated, professional staff and to work for a publisher committed to producing quality journalism.

Opinion of President George W. Bush: There is a distinct wall between news and opinion at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. My responsibilities in the news operation include gathering and reporting the news, not formulating opinion and commentary.t

Comment: Few newspaper markets in the United States are as dynamic and challenging as Northwest Arkansas. There’s no better place to watch this region come of age than from this vantage point.