Attempting to Control the Media for Campaigns

Ian Donnis relates the strange tale of General Treasurer (and gubernatorial candidate) Frank Caprio's appearance on Tim White's Newsmakers:

Caprio's press secretary, Tim Gray, solicited the treasurer's Newsmakers' appearance earlier this week, as part of a media blitz to promote his pension plan. But the Caprio team balked at the concept of Caprio being paired as a guest with the NEA's Robert Walsh. Caprio ultimately agreed to appear by himself...

Ian notes that Caprio proclaimed that he'd appear with any other candidate for governor, even though the media outreach was ostensibly a function of his role as treasurer. In either case, one can understand his desire to spend his TV time promoting his plan, rather than defending it against a key figure from a dominant special interest group who not only knows the issue, but also has prepared talking and spin points.

But understanding is not agreement. It's more than a little insulting for politicians to treat mainstream media productions as venues for self promotion distinct from the host's view of newsworthiness. Perhaps Tim should have declined the appearance if the treasurer's office/Caprio campaign was insistent that it/they must be allowed to craft the outcome.