20/20 Has Slanted Vision

A privilege that comes with running HeadCount, one of the largest grassroots voter registration campaigns in the U.S., is occasionally being invited to speak for the youth voter movement itself. So when producers from ABC's 20/20 called and said they were putting together a segment that would ask whether attracting new voters to the electorate was a good thing or not, we eagerly agreed to represent the "pro" side of the argument.

In preliminary interviews, the producers showed great enthusiasm for our viewpoint. We argued that democracy is, by definition, inclusive and functions best when involving the broadest number of citizens. We argued that the notion of only an educated elite deciding who should lead is an age -- old idea that is still championed today in totalitarian regimes, but that one only needs to look toward the stark differences in quality of life between those countries and ours to support the merits of a republic where all individuals have equal say.

When we were told that John Stossel would be conducting the on-air interview, it probably should have alerted us that the final segment would be more of an editorial representing a contrarian view than a piece of actual journalism that strived for quality. But in extensive conversations with the producers, we were promised a balanced piece.

So when the producers then explained they'd been doing "man on the street" interviews testing people's knowledge about the election, and would like to conduct some at one of the concerts where we register voters, we were more than happy to help. We suggested several concerts on our schedule, and they selected the festival Camp Bisco, hosted by our co-chair Marc Brownstein.

When the camera crew began an afternoon of shooting these interviews, something pretty funny happened. The producer, Harvard graduate Andrew Sullivan, read a list of questions from a piece of paper -- "How many states are there? Who is the vice president? How many Senators are there? What is Roe v. Wade?" The first interviewee answered some correctly, some incorrectly. Sullivan then came to the next question on his list -- how many years a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serves in each term. The interviewee answered "two." Sullivan, with a smug smile, said "No, it's actually four."

"Uhm," I said uncomfortably. "It's two." He shook his head no, insisting it's four. Was this really happening? I mean, were we actually going to debate this? One of our volunteers went to his blackberry to verify, but that was farcical in itself. The answer was obviously two and has been since the birth of our country. The fact that an ABC producer was reading off a sheet of questions and had it wrong was just -- well comedy and tragedy all at once. We corrected him and moved on. According to Stossel's argument, Sullivan should not vote (we respectfully disagree).

We then spent several hours interviewing fans as they came to the concert. They were not, as the ABC piece would falsely assert, people we registered to vote. They were simply entering the concert grounds. Some answered almost all the questions correctly. Some knew very little. Interestingly, the segment that aired on ABC showed interviewees struggling with two of the questions that the majority of people answered correctly (all but two people, out of dozens, knew how many states there are, and most were familiar with Roe. V. Wade). Not surprisingly, the question about how many years a U.S. Rep serves for never made it to the air.

In hindsight, it was naïve of us to believe that 20/20 would do anything but use the worst interviews of the dozens at their disposal. The purpose of the segment was to entertain, not to win any awards. The goal is to generate ratings and probably nothing more. And it's certainly more entertaining to watch someone get stumped than correctly recite a 7th grade government lesson.

The fact that ABC quizzed people on civics and not their awareness of issues in this election pointed to just how tone deaf Stossel and his crew are. Had they asked how young people felt about the economy, the War in Iraq, and the environment, they may have gotten a very different reaction. Their little "test" was more an indictment of the American education system than a cogent or credible argument against voting.

That aside, what the segment did not properly represent is how seriously HeadCount takes the education piece of our mission. They left out, for instance, that we printed and distributed 10,000 voter guides. They even chopped up a quote from Brownstein where he acknowledge that there are large numbers of uninformed voters, but cut off the next sentence where he detailed our efforts to educate as well as sign people up - the classic "out of context quote" that's a sign of weak, and agenda-ridden, reporting.

But we conclude by pointing out that, if indeed we accept the notion that the electorate and particularly young voters are not as well informed as we'd hope, it only speaks to the need for organizations like HeadCount that encourage civic engagement. Voting is, almost by definition, the first and most inclusive step a citizen can take toward participating in democracy. HeadCount addresses those who may not see politics as personally relevant to them, and reminds them that in this country we all have a voice and that people have died to defend our rights to use it. On Election Day, over 100 million Americans will vote, and more than 10 million of them will be young voters age 18 to 24. Some will have spent the last few months voraciously reading blogs and consuming cable news and come to the polls with deep knowledge about the issues. For others, voting will be a lone act of civic engagement. But HeadCount aims to create an environment in the live music community that encourages them to do more. We try to make the issues of the day part of the ongoing conversation among music fans, and weave that into the social fabric of our community. This is a long process that will take many years to fully bear fruit. The first step -- registering 100,000 voters -- is near completion. Post election, you'll see us take on new initiatives that use music as a platform that inspires people to get more involved and politically active.

John Stossel has carved out a niche for himself as an independent-minded reporter whose shining moment came more than 20 years ago when he got manhandled by a professional wrestler. Since then, he's been in and out of the news from time to time, facing accusations of shoddy journalism. We are confident that regardless of the angle of the piece and the opinions Stossel espoused, that most Americans will recognize that young voters have a great deal at stake in this election and will be serving the greater good by making their voices heard on Election Day.

Comments

[coolmaiden]

If the interviewees do fail at some of the questions, shouldn't that be an indictment of No Child Left Behind and the craptastic Republican education plan?

[imnoone]

Leno pulls this "skit" a couple times a month. He, of course, is a republican. It is not just the fact that many of our citizens are bereft of the knowledge necessary to make an informed opinion on a host of issues. In the Wizard of Id, Rodney rushes into the throne room announcing that: "The peasants are revolting, the peasants are revolting." The King responds "Everybody knows that. Why do you think we never invite them to social functions." The republicans are the real elitists. And yet, my personal feeling is that the core of the political right really do believe that blacks are intellectually inferior, that there were real links between Iraq and 9/11, that Iraq was laden with WMB's, that Obama is a Muslim, etc.etc.etc.

[PKSSK]

First, you were wrong to trust ABC, which has proven to be the Fox News of the msm. Think about it, most of the pundits on Fox News are former ABC news pundits or they closely advise each other. Think, Hannity and Stephonopolous, Hannity and Hasselback, Gibson and Hume etc....The two media outlets (ABC/Fox News) carry the water for each other and I refuse to watch either one.

[robotfog]

I'm afraid that's not water they're carrying.

[dane250]

Hilarius

[blog4um]

The MSM first tried to get Obama supporters by asking questions about his views on the issues. They found well informed voters and were surprised. Since they cant trip people up with the issues, they are trying to find another way to say that they are "uninformed"

I lost all respect for ABC when I saw the hatchet job they were doing on Obama and left their MSM pundits to listen among themselves and do not watch them.

[NC4Obama]

If uninformed people shouldn't vote then Iam guessing 20/20 is saying all Republicans shouldn't vote?

[dadw5boys]

They are selling you the right wing hate feast that keeps Americans divided.

DIVIDE AND CONQURE !!!!!!!!!

THE CORPORATIONS AGAINST THE CITIZENS !!!!!!!!!

[ChiGuy]

The ever-smug Stossel is an admitted Libertarian, so by nature, he feels superior to 95% of the population.

How pathetic that they chose to make a circus out of the piece, rather than a truly serious look at the inspiring political activism that this election cycle has generated, and why that has happened.

[robotfog]

if stossel is a libertarian, then his shoddy journalism shows that libertarianism won't work any better than anything else because there will be people like him using their resources to scam and confuse others.

And so, the game will never end.

[Russycle]

I went to college with Liz Vargas, who introduced that segment on 20/20. She should know better, but I suppose it's not her call. I hope she's at least embarrassed by it.

[JesustheLiberal]

John "the Tool" Stossel is not independent minded. He's a hack!

[TRYKER]

Important post, thank you Mr. Bernstein.
It is so disappointing when you know what the show could have been and then see it turned upside down. A work of Art ruined again...on orders from on-high. A little order for a little more torture.
Well, this upside down world is going to change rapidly very soon...we are seeing the dying throes in their jerky urgent hokey games.
They're flailing and they want us to flail with them.
We're too broke and don't want to play "pretend up is down" with them anymore.

[11907281]

They know that if young people vote they will lose the power that serves their interests.

[VirgoGrrrlie]

Makes me wonder what "test" 20/20 would give to young people to make sure they were "fit" to fight and die in our military, at the same age & stage of life.

[TRYKER]

This appears to be an "assignment" from on-high to counter the "ignorant Sarah Palin" appearances and knowing nothing.
So ABC got the contract to pretend to be gearing up for one show, when all along they had the agenda printed out for the other.
Instead of asking the young people about their real opinions in the NOW and risk getting an earful along with surprise, they played No Child Left Behind and gave a test. That is so Bush.
ABC can't be trusted...another "FOX Lite". Stossell is all snark and his agendas are so blatant and obvious.
Will the face of TV change when we get a new administration?
Will all of these time-worn white guys and gals finally retire before they're run out of town on a rail?
If we are going to do a massive house-cleaning in this country, TV had best break out the broom.

[pons1595]

The "whores of reason" that is ABC news cannot escape the wrath of intelligent minds; they like the disgusting Fox s**t are readily seen for the nonsense they propagate. They are below tabloid status.

[GrainOSand]

Far below and sinking faster and deeper all of the time.

[JScott]

Walt would turn in his grave.

[saami]

Sorry hit the button before spell check. John Stossel spouts nonsense and has no problem stretching the truth.

[saami]

John Stossel is not an independent minded reporter. He is a shrill voice, often of nonscence who belittles any one who disagrees with him. Yellow journalism at it's best. Most adults can't answer the same questions, especially the Republicans who think George Bush didn't trample The Constitution.