Kansas Republicans Want a News Source for Their Cause
Kansas Republicans are reportedly looking to create their own media outlet that would promote their beliefs and ideas. State senator Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, suggests that Republicans could set up their own TV stations or a Republican Spotlight and venture into the broadcasting industry. Similarly, former Governor Sam Brownback has called for a Fox News-style channel that is conservative and carries local news in the state. This move comes after a Northwestern University report showed that 70 million US inhabitants reside in a county without a newspaper. However, these politicians’ critiques of the media have suggested that they may not have thought about journalism. Steffen claimed that the media only exists to make money, while Brownback criticised news outlets for using the term “anti-abortion forces” instead of “pro-life forces.”
The Need for an Independent Press
Kansas Reflector operates as a non-profit and provides non-partisan, independent news for the state. The writer of this article believes that any Republican-led media outlet should also aim to be non-partisan and place value on its independence, reporting news from Topeka without fear or favor. Additionally, transparency and accountability were praised, with the author suggesting that such an organization should list its donors and publish financial statements and tax returns. The Republican-led media outlet must find a balance between promoting their party’s interests and journalistic ethics.
Expanding on the Topic
The idea of Republicans creating their own media outlets is not novel. In recent years, Republicans have already established their own media outlets like Newsmax, Breitbart News, and One America News. These outlets promote conservative ideologies and report news from a conservative point of view. Republicans’ quest for fewer mainstream media outlets comes from their belief that these media outlets are against them or do not represent them accurately. It is essential to maintain independent media and avoid political propaganda, as unbiased news is necessary for a democracy to thrive. Thus, media outlets must understand their obligations and ensure impartiality.
—————————————————-
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| 90’s Rock Band Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Nature’s Secret to More Energy | View |
| Ancient Recipe for Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| You Need a VPN in 2023 – Liberty Shield | View |
Kansas Republicans have said they want a Kansas Reflector of their own. Whether it’s online, in print, or broadcast on radio and television, they want a news source that raises their cause to the people of our state.
“We have to develop our sources,” he said state senator Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, in audio obtained by Kansas Reflector from his May 23 appearance at Buhler High School. “You know, we could definitely have a Republican Spotlight. We could have our own TV stations. We have people with money. We have people with the know-how to do it. We have to develop a plan and go about making it happen.
His words echoed those of former Governor Sam Brownback, who he told the Wichita Eagle in September that “we need a Fox News in Kansas that is truly conservative — and like Fox or more conservative, but they can carry the local news in this state.”
Good luck guys. I wish you good luck and hope you are successful.
According to a report last year from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, a staggering 70 million people in the United States live in a county without a single newspaper. More broadly, 1,630 counties have only one local newspaper, which usually struggles to cover a large geographic area. In Kansas, the most recent data shows that a county has no local newspaper, while 58 0f 105 have only one newspaper.
Now, these numbers only scratch the surface. Kansas and other states have seen digital startupsand local communities often turn to social media and other methods of communication. Yet anyone who cares to look can see the need. If Republican politicians want to help improve the situation, they should be encouraged to do so.
I also hope any startup follows Kansas Reflector’s lead in terms of accuracy and transparency. I hope such an organization lists its donors and publishes tax returns, as Kansas Reflector, parent States Newsroom. I hope you take professional journalists with decades of industry and state experience. I hope you report the news from Topeka without fear or favor, asking the tough questions of those in power. And I hope his opinion pieces are grounded rigorous analysis and in-depth reporting.
I think Republican leaders would end up with a very similar, if not identical news source to the Kansas Reflector. And we would welcome another outlet that shares our mission to serve the people of Kansas.
‘there to make money’
While Steffen and Brownback should definitely call in wealthy donors to fund more media outlets, their other critiques of the camp have suggested that neither has spent much time thinking about or researching journalism.
In his remarks at Buhler High School, for example, Steffen uncapped this startling statement: “The media really is there for one reason and one reason only. I’m there to make money. I’m not there to help you. They are not there to help me. I’m there to make money. So, you know, in a lot of ways I try not to engage with the media a lot, especially the mainstream media, because I don’t want to make any money out of them.
Steffen should find a reporter quickly and… ask how much he earns. Rest assured: this camp makes no money for anyone. Kansas Reflector, for example, operates as a nonprofit. Other outlets operate like businesses, but most of these work diligently to keep the lights on and staff paid on time.
As for Brownback, he focused on the language used on the news.
“Something else I think we need to do is hope that a bunch of conservatives can go in somewhere and buy one of the state’s major TV stations — in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City — to start breaking the news; instead of calling them ‘anti-abortion forces,’ call them ‘pro-life forces,'” he said in the story from Eagle reporter Chance Swaim.
Brownback doesn’t seem to understand the difference between a hard-hitting news organization with an explicit comment section and a propaganda mouthpiece.
The mistake both of these politicians make is to look at the media as partisan actors. As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, the Kansas Reflector’s sole interest and obligation is to serve the people of our state, not the fortunes of one political party or another.
While my writing on the opinion page may come from a progressive perspective, it is also nonpartisan. I have praised AND criticized Democrats, and I did praised AND criticized republicans. Our contributors in the section have done the same. That’s the whole point of an independent press: to function as a voice outside the political fray.
This is also why readers trust us. Any similar effort in the state will also have to value its independence.
“The press doesn’t say it”
House Speaker Dan Hawkins joined his fellow Republicans in media commentary over the weekend. At an Americans for Prosperity picnic in Johnson County, unleashed the rhetoric which veered from the absurd to the sinister. Any media startup would do well to avoid his example.
“It’s not ironic, and this is something the Reflector needs to write,” Hawkins said, acknowledging reporter Tim CarpenterIsn’t it ironic that the Kelly-Toland administration, which has spent all its time talking about cutting taxes, ends up taking away your tax breaks? Every single person who pays taxes in this state has been granted tax exemption by the Kelly-Toland administration. I’m going to keep going around the state saying that, because that’s a fact, and they don’t say it. The press doesn’t say it. Not once did the press write about this.
As Speaker of the House and leader of an outright majority, Hawkins should spare us the sob story. It almost seems that he wants to be appreciated by the media that he chooses for criticism.
He is also telling an outright falsehood.
The press reported on Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of the legislature’s tax package. Here’s a story from the Kansas Reflector. Here’s a story from the Topeka Capital-Journal. Here’s a story from the Kansas City Star. Each of these stories mentioned multiple components of the bill.
Unfortunately, Hawkins wasn’t done with his deep thoughts on the news media. Later in his remarks he used the word “evil” when referring to the press. This is unacceptable language for any elected official, much less a House leader.
Describing journalists and their work as “evil” dehumanises important contributors to our democracy. And more. It’s the kind of rhetoric that drives politicians to cross the red lines that have protected our shared free speech. It’s the kind of rhetoric that feeds a dangerous extremism.
For the record, I don’t think any political leader in Kansas is evil. Wrong? Perhaps. Wrong? Perhaps. Making decisions that could harm their fellow Kansans and their families? Perhaps. But I’ve always understood the difference between criticizing someone’s actions or the policies they advocate and saying they are fundamentally good or bad. Other journalists and political commentators in this state understand the same.
I hope the Republican Reflector staff understand this too.
Clay Wirestone is opinion editor at Kansas Reflector. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are influenced by public policy or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to post your comment, Here.
Kansas Republicans want to replicate our success. Please, go right ahead.
—————————————————-