Gays target KTSM using Facebook (updated)

*** UPDATE ***

Here's a press release we received from members of the gay community regarding the incident:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2009



Contact:  Alex Guzman, Political and Legislative Liaison, 915.474.4393 or alexguzman915@hotmail.com

El Paso, Tex.— A coalition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied groups, expresses its deep disappointment in the management of El Paso television station KTSM Channel 9, an NBC affiliate, for its failure to provide balanced coverage following the El Paso City Council’s decision to extend benefits to the domestic partners of municipal employees.

Specifically, following the Council’s 7-to-1 favorable vote on August 25, 2009, KTSM anchor/reporter Ben Swann conducted an exclusive interview with Pastor Tom Brown of El Paso’s Word of Life Church and Mr. Barry Martin, both opponents of City Council’s decision. No mention was made of citizens who support the benefits. Instead, two short clips of a pre-taped interview with city Representative Steve Ortega were shown. In the interview, Pastor Brown and Mr. Martin issued opinions regarding the budget provision and making references to the LGBT community, without a direct representative of the latter to respond.  This interview aired on KTSM the evening of August 25.

When contacted by members of the LGBT community the day following the interview, KTSM News Director Kim Bridger refused to grant equal and balanced coverage of the story by interviewing citizens who support the domestic-partner benefits decision made by City Council.  KTSM General Manager Gary Sotir did not reply to telephone calls nor email messages from RGA.

City Council’s decision, made after three weeks of public commentary, places El Paso among progressive cities across the country that have made similar decisions.  In Texas, El Paso now joins Dallas, Austin, and Travis County in extending municipal domestic-partner benefits; other such cities in the region include Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Tucson, Tempe, and Phoenix.  This week, Reno, Nevada, also joined the increasing number of cities across the United States that choose to recognize that city employees’ domestic partners deserve fair and equal treatment.

Our organizations applaud and stand by El Paso City Council’s crucial decision to advance equal treatment for all city employees.  Further, we believe we deserve fair and equal coverage by El Paso’s various media outlets, including KTSM Channel 9.  Freedom of the press is a constitutional guarantee; however, biased, unbalanced journalism has no place in civilized society.  In our eyes, this is a form of discrimination that undermines the freedom of all the citizens of El Paso.

On behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community in the greater El Paso-Cuidad Juàrez-Las Cruces borderland and our allies, our community organizations would like to have at least one representative interviewed by KTSM Channel 9 and/or other local television stations to express our views regarding City Council’s decision, preferably in a format similar to that afforded Pastor Brown and Mr. Martin.  Should this not be granted, we request a formal on-air apology from KTSM for its slight toward our community, including its reasons for refusing to grant us an interview.

Representing the coalition of El Paso GLBT organizations:

Alex Guzman, Political Liaison
Rio Grande Adelante

Van English, Board Member
Metropolitan Community Church

Jesus G. Smith, Chair
Rainbow Miner Initiative
University of Texas at El Paso

Cristina Rivera, President
Queer Student Alliance

Isaac Perez-Bolado,
Vice-President
Delta Lambda Phi Fraternity
915-790-7227
 

Sam Aguilera, Co-Founder
Puentes LGBT Resources

Desert View United Church of Christ 
11160 Montwood Drive,
El Paso, TX 79936  

El Paso LULAC Councils
Joe Gutierrez
President, Council 4457

Daniel (“Dan”) Graney
Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus

Keny Michael Apodaca
State Democratic Executive Committeeman

ORIGINAL POST:

Gay advocates in El Paso are using the social networking site Facebook to target what they say was biased reporting at KTSM-TV cable Channel 9 (cable Channel 10) earlier this week. Dozens of Facebook messages have gone out since this morning asking people to call the station demanding fair coverage of gay issues.

The groups claim that in a live studio interview on the issue of the city's extension of health benefits to gay couples, anchor Ben Swann failed to include a supporter of the gay community. In deed, the interview included Pastor Tom Brown and Barry Martin, both vocal opponents of the city's efforts. The men talked about their efforts to get the health issue on a ballot for the entire city to vote on.

Supporters of the city's efforts said the piece should have included someone speaking on behalf of the gay community in El Paso, and dozens have said they have either emailed the station or talked to the news director. One poster on Facebook said the news director was not receptive to his call.

In fairness, Swann's interview was preceded by a taped interview of city Rep. Steve Ortega somewhat defending the council's decision. And in an e-mail, Swann said that the station did try to get Ortega or city Rep. Beto O'Rourke live on the studio but neither could do it.

Comments

[nwzwatcher]

Kim Bridger is not a pleasure a to work for from what I hear.

[GayBoy]

They should have gotten Raul Martinez for an interview! That guy's sexy.

[Yea]

The station is owned by White Knights Broadcasting out of Lafayette Louisiana. What images come to mind when you see that name? I hear David Duke is also from Louisiana.

Call them and see if they are receptive to your calls but they'll take your "GREEN" money.

[FREDthe RED]

I saw that interview and that was the first thing I noticed... got to be fair and balanced, if they didn't get someone from the other side KILL THE STORY!

[Walt]

I would have thought that Ben would have done anything he possibly could to promote the gay agenda.

[Wanda]

I can't believe that the gay community gets so up in arms all the time about every little perceived slight. One thing that made this country great was the ability to let things roll off your back and not resort to using smear tactics on a social networking site. I hope that their boycott of KTSM does not succeed because theirs is the only broadcast I can receive on my TV since the change to digital. I have grown very fond of their news since it's the only one I can see. I'm sure that Mr. Ben didn't mean no disrespect to nobody. He's got enough to worry about trying to color coordinate his outfits every night.

[Baldo]

This is really getting out of hand. I just came form that site and now they are demanding that KTSM hire a butch anchor to do the news. I can't believe it.

[Scott]

This remains the ONLY place in local media in which the status updates on Facebook constitute "news".

That quibble said, this actually IS with discussion here. I saw the report, and believe there is strong case to be made for failure to be fair and balanced.

Someone - or several someones - clearly were not paying attention there.

It begs the question, if anchor Nick Miller were doing that story and not "anchor" Ben Swann - would such a gross oversite ever happen?

[Derek]

I think that Nick would have offered the story in an even-handed, fair-minded, level-headed, unbiased fashion. He was the type of reporter who would go to any lengths to get both sides of an issue out of the closet and into the open. He left no stone unturned and was always very meticulous and thorough. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that were he still around, KTSM would not be in the hot water they find themselves today. I have no idea what they can possibly do to alleviate the gay community. Those people are already worked up over the Chico's incident and they are truly out for blood now. I'm never in favor of negotiating with terrorists, but perhaps in this case the station should acquiesce and hire that butch anchor.

[Cynthia]

Ben Swann is ridiculous to have the nerve to defend his actions in that email. Back when I was in school (years ago) journalism professors taught me that sometimes you have to kill a story if you can't get both sides... or at least put it off. And I don't believe that a single, well-spoken person, knowledgeable about the ballot measure and in support of health benefits for ALL couples wasn't available.

That excuse is ridiculous and Swann should be fired.

[Craig]

As a gay man and a gay mechanic I'm deeply offended by Mr. Swann. I've been gay longer than that dude has been shaving and I can tell you that he has no idea about our plight. All the years of working on cars performing lube jobs and fixing pistons to go up and down faster and polishing the helmet of gaskets has built up all kinds of unfulfilled desires. Plus I've had to endure the mocking insults of my colleagues who all think they're better than me because they spend all their free time chasing skirts. Just once I'd like for us folks to get a fair shake on a deal such as this. After viewing his report, I feel like I got taken without so much as the courtesy of a reacharound.

[enough already]

I am sick of hearing about the El Paso Gay Community and their plight. About four weeks ago KVIA Xtra tackled this issue with only the gay side represented, and I did not hear any whining and crying then. Yes, I am hateful, intolerant, and ignorant. I also don't e-mail stations, threaten boycotts, and snivel on facebook when my hateful views are not supported. News flash fellas, El Paso does not have a big gay community. You guys are a minority and you are not going to ever get the support, air-time, or sympathy you think you deserve. Just shut up, live your lives, and stop pestering the majority of the population with your perceived hardships. We don't care about you.

[Liam]

Way to go, enough already! That is definitely the best response I've ever heard to all of this gay nonsense. Thank you very much for your forceful, yet tactful post. This issue is settled and we need no further debate in my view.

[DM Prozac]

Pastor tom brown and his church came out on the History Channel on a story on exorcisms. The pastor was convincing people with obvious psychotic disorders that they ware possessed by demons and proceded to smack them upside the head to 'rid them of the devil'.