This is the email conversation between Beacon Journal reporter Dave Scott and the U.S. Senate campaigns of Sen. Sherrod Brown and state Treasurer Josh Mandel.
Scott was attempting to set up an interview with the candidates to discuss the Akron civility project and whether the local guidelines had applicability to the campaigns.
On Wednesday, Aug. 15, representatives for Brown and Mandel, candidates for U.S. Senate, received the following email along with the civility guidelines of the local civility project. The representatives also were called and voice mail was left referring to this email. (Email addresses and telephone numbers are left out of this transcript.)
Here’s the email:
Hello,
The Beacon Journal, the Ohio Civility Project and the Akron area faith community want to ask you some tough questions.
The project’s polling indicates three in four Ohioans think incivility in Ohio politics is either a very serious or somewhat serious problem and we have been studying the issue and what to do about it since March.
Now it is time to come to you to share what we have found and give you an opportunity to react and participate.
The Ohio Civility Project is a joint effort by the Beacon Journal, the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute, Cleveland State University and the University of Mount Union. If you want to know more, please go to:
<http://www.uakron.edu/bliss/about-us/ohio-civility-project.dot?newsId=2328165>;;
You also might want to check our America Today series on Ohio.com:
<http://www.ohio.com/special-projects/civility>;;
The Civic Commons, based in Cleveland, also has been a great resource for people to comment on civility and National Public Radio also has shown an interest.
Part of this project is to form a Civility Test to be applied to various statements, including political ads. The hope is that the media, politicians and others will accept this standard and apply it.
Here is the test in its latest form. It remains tentative and we would welcome your comments:
Our civility standards can be used to evaluate public statements by answering the following questions:
• Does the statement contain offensive language, derogatory comments, or attack the motives of another person?
• Does the statement misrepresent, belittle, or dismiss another person’s opinion?
• Does the statement interrupt discourse, disrupt deliberation, or escalate conflict in a dialogue with other people?
I am writing to request a chance to discuss this issue with [the candidate] and offer him a chance to comment or even adopt it. Both candidates are being given this opportunity and I will not write without giving each side a chance to respond.
I am asking for a chance to discuss this project with the candidates with opportunities to ask follow up questions.
Dave Scott
Reporter
Akron Beacon Journal
After a week passed and no response was received from either campaign, the following was sent Aug. 22 along with another voice mail:
To Travis Considine, Communications Director
Josh Mandel for U.S. Senate
Dear Travis,
I am writing to tell you that I am concerned that I have not heard anything from you regarding our Civility Project after two messages left on your telephone and the email copied below. I sincerely think this is an issue you should address and I don’t want to say in my story that Treasurer Mandel could not be reached and his staff did not respond to multiple contacts. My deadline is next week, so I need to hear something before the Labor Day weekend.
As a courtesy and to be totally open about what I am seeking, I’m enclosing my notes with questions I intend to ask in an interview. This is not intended to be a substitute for a bona fide interview but to give you a clearer idea of what I am looking for. I am requesting time with the candidate to ask follow-up questions and give him a chance to understand what we are doing.
I am willing to travel or work off hours to hold this interview. If it is a phoner, I would prefer to take the call here at work so I can record the conversation.
Sincerely,
Dave Scott
To Justin Barasky, Brown campaign communications director:
Hi Justin,
I am writing to tell you that I am concerned that I have not heard anything from you regarding our Civility Project after two messages left on your telephone and the email copied below. I sincerely think this is an issue you should address and I don’t want to say in my story that Senator Brown could not be reached and his staff did not respond to multiple contacts. My deadline is next week, so I need to hear something before the Labor Day weekend.
As a courtesy and to be totally open about what I am seeking, I’m enclosing my notes with questions I intend to ask in an interview. This is not intended to be a substitute for a bona fide interview but to give you a clearer idea of what I am looking for. I am requesting time with the candidate to ask follow up questions and give him a chance to understand what we are doing.
I am willing to travel or work off hours to hold this interview. If it is a phoner, I would prefer to take the call here at work so I can record the conversation.
Sincerely
Dave Scott
Here are the civility questions Scott attached to the email:
Civility Questions:
More than a week ago I sent you the Civility Test being prepared by the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron. Do you have a reaction to that test?
Do you have your own standards for testing the civility of ads and other communication from your campaign?
As a practical matter, do you consider calls for civility effective?
Would you consider an attempt at civility a disadvantage because of the perception that attack ads are effective and necessary to win?
I understand the restrictions on your communication with [political action committees], but would you be willing to disavow incivility by PACs acting in support of you?
Do you think civility can be legislated? If so, how would you protect free speech?
Have you found incivility in proposed communication in your campaign and done anything about it?
Considine at the Mandel campaign responded:
David,
The two articles The Beacon Journal published by Steve Hoffman, both written without the courtesy of an interview or an opportunity for us to set the record straight, represent your publication’s particularly uncivil attitude toward our campaign. These articles violate all three of the “civility standards” you list below.
How low will Josh Mandel go?
Akron Beacon Journal
By Steve Hoffman
Beacon Journal editorial writer
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/hoffman/how-low-will-josh-mandel-go-1.301188
Forget the boots, pull on the waders
Akron Beacon Journal
Steve Hoffman
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/steve-hoffman-forget-the-boots-pull-on-the-waders-1.306020
Travis Considine
Communications Director
Josh Mandel for U.S. Senate
Barasky sent the issue to Sadie Weiner who wrote:
Hi Dave — Justin sent me your request. Thanks for reaching out. You can use the following comment from me for your story.
“Josh Mandel has become well-known for distorting the facts and repeating lies about Senator Brown’s record. Our campaign ads are true and tell an important story about Sherrod’s work for middle-class Ohioans and Josh Mandel’s failure to show up for work or hire qualified staff.”
Senator Brown’s policy is to decline taking pledges beyond his oath of office.
Best,
Sadie
--
Sadie Weiner
Press Secretary, Friends of Sherrod Brown
On Aug. 22, Scott wrote to Mandel’s spokesman Travis Considine:
Dear Travis,
Thanks for your response.
As you note, Steve Hoffman is an editorial writer, an opinion maker and not a reporter. That’s an important distinction that is lost on far too many people these days.
I am writing as part of a community project and as a reporter who attempts to be objective. We are attempting to address an issue identified by the people as very important: incivility, which plays a role in our ability to solve the huge problems we face. I am not shy about saying it is important to get a variety of views in the paper and I sincerely and passionately want Treasurer Mandel’s position represented. It’s your decision as to whether this is Josh Mandel’s response.
Dave
Considine responded:
David,
Today your publication provided more evidence of its uncivil attitude toward our campaign. I believe today’s editorial violates all three of the “civility standards” of The Ohio Civility Project. If you are truly objective, you will note this in your article.
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/editorials/cartoon-candidate-1.330161
Travis Considine
Communications Director
Josh Mandel for U.S. Senate
On August 30, Scott wrote Weiner at the Brown campaign to provide the same second opportunity provided the Mandel campaign:
Hi Sadie,
I’m writing my story today and I want to remind you that my story is about incivility. Here’s what I told the Mandel campaign: “We are attempting to address an issue identified by the people as very important: incivility, which plays a role in our ability to solve the huge problems we face.”
I will need your response by 5 p.m. today. I would prefer email at this point.
Dave Scott
Beacon Journal
She responded:
Thanks, David. You can use the comment I sent previously.
Sadie
