At 01:38 AM 5/13/2005, Pamela Taylor wrote:
Eva Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Interesting. The MWP piece about Farheen Hakeem was what is known in the business as a "puff piece". I wonder how much good this does Hakeem's campaign to write a letter like this bashing a paper that wrote a puff piece on her. Most candidates like that sort of coverage.
I actually don't think it will help Hakeem's campaign much if the letter does get published.
Why doesn't Hakeem join this list and tell list members directly what she wants to do as Mayor - in other words answer all those un-asked questions by the MWP reporter.
Pamela Taylor says:
Interesting. I actually think it WILL help her campaign. And why should she join this list and tell members directly what she wants to do as Mayor? This forum group does not stand as the end all be all voice of the general public. It is THAT constitutency that she is trying to reach, not simply us here online. And, as to those un-asked questions by the MWP reporter, that is what Ms. Hakeem is wondering too. The reporter asked questions not as relevant to the campaign as the issues Ms. Hakeem would have liked to have discussed.
I posted my question because I was under the impression that Hakeem was taking her dispute with the Minnesota Women's Press to the list. Later posts - Brauer's forward from J Trout Louen, Editor of the MN Women's Press, and Rachel, who had forwarded the original message to the list suggest that this issue was already resolved between the MWP and Hakeem.
I would suggest that Hakeem join the forum and introduce herself here, because this forum has an audience of opinion leaders - politicians and media. It's free to participate in this forum - and it's a very cost effective way for a candidate to get their message out there.
And, could it be that because there seems to be more substance than "puff" to Ms. Hakeem's candidacy, that she had good reason to take offense to the articl? Is it a crime to want to be portrayed in a more intelligent light? If it were an article about you, and you wanted your intelligence to shine through, are you attempting to make us on this list believe that you, too, would not be offended? You, yourself then, would be insulting our intelligence! And, speaking for myself here, I am not that stupid.
Actually if I was a candidate for office, puff would be fine with me. The article in the MWP portrayed Hakeem in a positive light. Remember the MWP put her on the front page, and then printed her name and picture - and it gets out there to all their readers. She can then capitalize on this article by reprinting it (with permission of the women's press) and send it to potential donors to her campaign.
I would have done the same thing as Ms. Hakeem. Why go behind closed doors and talk to them privately just to keep others from becoming a witness to reality? And, why do we need to get the reporter's side? Ms. Hakeem was also in the room. Is HER voice relating HER experience not enough? Do we need the voice of the reporter to validate Ms. Hakeem's story? Especially when they called her to do the article, and put their version of her out there, instead of the side of her she was led to believe would be portrayed? Why should anyone take that?
It's useful to get the reporters side because Hakeem basically called the reporter a racist. There are two sides to every interaction.
It also sounds like the MWP editor did talk with Hakeem, and sent another reporter out to re-interview her. It sounds like this situation was handled privately - and effectively.
Eva Young Near North Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lloydletta.blogspot.com
"You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be." --Article II of the Bill of Non-Rights.
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