(Janet Wu is an Emmy winning political and investigative reporter at WCVB in Boston. She was the station’s political reporter for more than 30 years and now is co-host of “On The Record,” a weekly roundtable discussion of Massachusetts politics.)
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“In 2011, Bobby Haynes, head of the AFL-CIO in Massachusetts tried to run away from reporters following a Statehouse event to avoid answering questions about why he was taking $73,000 a year from a nonprofit to serve on the board. My photographer rolled on this attempt to flee us. As he was running away, I shouted to him “do you really want everyone to see that you’re afraid to answer questions?” He eventually returned and provided a weak defense of the payment. Two months later, he was forced to resign from the AFL-CIO after 11 years as the president. I would like to think that video contributed to his demise. For years he had been bullying members of his organization and failing to deliver the protections its members wanted. This is a very small example of what journalism can do, but it does speak to the power of video. “
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- “Every story I’ve covered, from votes at the State House, specific decisions made by the political leaders to coverage of ballot questions and questionable actions by candidates, give voters who pay attention a road map to how they should vote, how they should decide who or what should get their support. Unfortunately, not enough voters connect what they learn with their obligation to weigh in at the ballot box. Journalists spend hours of eliminating information to focus on just what is vital to the story, days of research and years of developing sources who trust you go into most stories.”
- “Another problem specific to Massachusetts is how the executive and legislative branch have exempt themselves from FOI (Freedom of Information Act) laws which make it difficult for journalists to obtain documents relevant to how decisions are made. Without this information, voters are left in the dark on how the “sausage is made.””
(Edited by Natalie DeRoche.)
