Today on AirTalk we'll consider the ethics of CNN's reporting on Ambassador Stevens' journal, untangle the knot of a potential ban on pot dispensaries in Los Angeles, look forward to "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," see how early voting affects campaigning, evaluate the performance of the NFL replacement refs thus far, and take Honda's stalwart Accord out for a spin.
Ambassador Stevens’ diary conjures up the issue of ethics in journalism
CNN is standing by its decision to report on the diary of Ambassador Chris Stevens, despite objections from the Stevens family. The ambassador died in the attacks on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11th, and CNN allegedly found the diary on the floor of the compound where Stevens was wounded.
CNN reported that Stevens was increasingly worried about a terrorist attack in Benghazi, and made reference to being included on an “al Qaeda hit list.” The U.S. State Department was up in arms over CNN’s reporting of the journal after telling Stevens’ family it would not be used, with spokesman Philippe Reines going so far as to call the move “indefensible.” Did CNN go too far?
What are the ethics of journalism in delicate cases such as this? Should all relevant news to a story be reported, even if promises were made to significant parties involved? How would you feel if this had happened to your family?
Guests:
Erik Wemple, Opinion Writer, The Washington Post
Ms. Kelly McBride, Senior Faculty for Ethics, The Poynter Institute, which specializes in journalism
Fixing LA’s problems with pot dispensaries
Feeling a little dazed and confused about the ban on L.A. area medical marijuana dispensaries? You’re not alone.
At the onset, the dispensaries were allowed to open up shop, but then the city council tried to regulate them. After regulation didn’t go over so well they tried to ban them altogether and now that ban has been overturned.
In L.A., medical marijuana has found its foothold of supporters who are finding just enough motivation to sign petitions and gain political allies to force a ballot referendum. On the other hand, the city is finding that there are little to no resources available to properly regulate the dispensaries and to police their closures. So now the city council has found itself at a fork in the road—they must decide if it should put that referendum on the ballot and hope to persuade voters to oppose it. Or, should it lift the ban altogether and focus on drafting the provisions and ordinances that would both allow for medical marijuana patients to use the shops and at the same time curb the over-proliferation in poorly regulated neighborhoods?
Did the city act too quickly in opening and closing of marijuana dispensaries? Can a middle ground be reached between keeping them open and at the same time curbing the saturation in certain neighborhoods? What lessons can be learned from the proliferation of liquor stores in L.A.?
Guests:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter
Jessica Levinson, Professor at Loyola Law School, teaching election law; former Director of Political Reform at the Center for Governmental Studies
Pastors v. IRS: How will ‘Pulpit Freedom Sunday’ resonate with Uncle Sam?
If you’re paying attention during your church’s sermon on October 7, you might just hear a presidential endorsement instead of the scripture reading. More than 1,000 pastors backed by the Alliance Defending Freedom have agreed to deliberately challenge a 1954 tax code amendment that prevents tax-exempt organizations like churches from making political statements.
Members of the group are frustrated with the perceived infringement of the first amendment right to free speech by the federal government claiming that the pastors, not the IRS should decide what’s said from the pulpit. In order to take the challenge to court, the pastors will give their politically charged sermons on October 7 or “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” and record them, which they then plan on sending to the IRS. The IRS has threatened some pastors with revocation of their churches tax-exempt status in the past, but many of them say they are empty threats and are ready to take the matter head on.
Is there a moral conflict between a pastor’s sermon and political endorsement? Do they pastor’s have a right to free speech in any arena or should they exercise moral hazard with something as heavy as religion?
Guests:
Jim Garlow, PhD, Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church, an evangelical Christian megachurch located in La Mesa, California
Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Barry Lynn, executive director, Americans united for separation of church and state
The impact of early voting on 2012 campaign strategy
Presidential voting starts now… at least for some. Most American voters won’t actually cast their votes for the presidential election until November 6th, but walking into a neighborhood polling place on Election Day to pick elected officials is becoming more rare. Constituents in at least 30 states will be able to start casting early or absentee ballots in the race by the end of this month — a fact that weighs on the campaign strategies for both major parties.
Four years ago, just under 40 million people — about 30 percent of all eligible voters that year — voted early, and experts expect that number to be even higher in 2012. In most of the 2012 battleground states, at least half of all votes will come in early, according to campaign officials. In person voting starts Thursday in Iowa and two-thirds of voters are predicted to vote early in North Carolina. California is not a battleground state in the 2012 election map, but roughly half of Californians are expected to vote before November 6th.
As a result of early voting, the campaign ad wars, which in the past have peaked toward the end of October, are expected to culminate by the first of the month - before the candidates face one another in any of the four scheduled debates. Locking in votes early can insulate candidates from last-minute campaign blunders, but early voting also gives nominees less time to win over undecided voters leaning toward the opposing side.
Will early voting help or hurt the Obama and Romney campaigns? What can candidates to do persuade voters to vote for them while the contentious campaign season rages on?
Guests:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Darry Sragow, attorney and longtime Democratic political strategist
NFL players and coaches call for replacement of the replacement refs
National Football League players and coaches are ready to throw a flag of their own and do away with the replacement referees that have been officiating pro football games for the first two weeks of the new season.
NFL officials have been locked out since their contract with the league expired in June. As the fill-in refs have slowed down America’s most popular and profitable game, many have come to think that NFL stands for “no fun league”, and the way things have looked so far this season they may be right. And the refs aren’t happy, either.
Negotiations broke down several times this summer and after two meetings last week the two sides remain far apart. The primary sticking points between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association are salary, retirement benefits and myriad operational issues. The league has said that with its current offer an experienced NFL official could earn up to $200,000 a season, but the referees’ union says that the new deal would ultimately reduce their salaries.
On the field, players and coaches have been frustrated by poor calls and damage to the “integrity of the game” and fans have complained about the slow pace and frequent pauses by officials while figuring out rules.
Do NFL refs need a more comprehensive compensation package? How has the lockout affected the games so far this season? What is fair pay for officiating America’s most lucrative sport?
Guests:
Sam Farmer, NFL writer for the Los Angeles Times
Jerry Markbreit, former NFL official
Can Honda get its groove back?
Customer loyalty is a valuable thing for a company, and few products have inspired the kind of ardor that Honda has traditionally enjoyed with its stalwart sedan, the Accord.
People who bought Accords tended to buy another Accord down the line, and Americans car buyers loved the model’s stylish design and incomparable reliability. But the venerable Japanese carmaker has been on a rockier road of late, facing production challenges in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a redesign misstep with their entry level Civic and increased competition from both a resurgent American automobile industry and fast-growing car companies like Hyundai and Kia.
With the 2013 Accord Honda is hoping to get a little of its mojo back; the new Accord has been fully redesigned yet it retains the elements that earned the car its reputation in years past. Can Honda continue to compete in the volatile auto industry? Are you a loyal Accord owner? Why or why not?
Guests:
Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst at Edmunds, a leading resource for automobile information
Sonari Glinton, NPR National Desk reporter based in Detroit, primarily covering the auto industry and transportation