News 14 Carolina - Political Connections

Another well written blog by Laura Leslie at WUNC (http://wunc.org/news/Isaac-Hunters-Tavern) got me thinking today.

A few days ago she wrote about how Governor Mike Easley has been all over the place. He was in DC to talk National Guard and dropout rates in schools recently. CSPAN invited him to do a call in show. Then he and Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy held a national "press conference" over the phone. It was well attended by very prominent news organizations in Washington DC.

It got me thinking though. Why so much national media attention and those of us in Raleigh can't even get an interview with him in our own state??? As a television station, sound by itself isn't exactly compelling. So, we put in a request to videotape his "press conference" with Sen. Leahy. Denied.

We then asked for an interview afterward and some time with all the local media in person. Denied.

We've had a standing request to do a one on one interview in our studio with the Governor for more than a year. We offered him 30 minutes of air time that would air in the Triangle, Triad, and Charlotte. Denied. We've never even been granted a one on one interview in his office. In fact, the only time I've interviewed the Governor in a sit down situation was during the campaign.

I'm not mocking or ripping on the Governor or his staff. It just makes you think.