Before I get to the tweets that serve as a timeline, we need to set the stage. David Rauf is the Austin bureau reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle. Those newspapers serve Texas’ largest and second-largest cities. They are big dogs among the Texas press. Jan Soifer is the chair of the Travis County Democratic Party.
The Travis County Democratic Party held a fundraiser with Wendy Davis on Tuesday, and Davis delivered her stump speech. That’s normal stuff. But in a highly unusual move, the TCDP and the Davis campaign barred the event to all but one media outlet, the Texas Tribune, which livestreamed it. According to Rauf, not only did the Tribune get exclusive access, a Davis campaign press release told other media to stay away. They would not be welcome or admitted.
Rauf took to Twitter today trying to get some answers, because apparently the TCDP and the Davis campaign have circled their wagons.
Hey @jansoifer — why did your group bar state press Monday but give exclusive access to one outlet to hear a gubernatorial stump speech?
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Soifer’s initial reply to him was a non-answer.
@davidrauf @TCDP had @texastribune broadcast sold-out fundraiser bc hotel forbade addl bodies in room; our way to showcase @wendydavistexas!
— Jan Soifer (@jansoifer) January 30, 2014
Rauf noted that the TCDP and the Davis campaign limited access to just one outlet, keeping competitors from doing anything other than reporting on what they saw on the Tribune‘s livestream.
. @jansoifer @TCDP also allowed only 1 print reporter inside– this was your way of selectively choosing which outlets get access. Be honest
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Rauf persisted.
. @jansoifer @TCDP It’s a flat out lie to deny that you barred the state press corp and granted exclusive access to one outlet.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
@jansoifer @TCDP And the Wendy Davis folks were complicit in your plans to grants exclusivity to one outlet.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
. @jansoifer Did you know that your exclusive deal forced the Davis press team to apologize to eds/reporters around the state?
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Soifer answered.
@davidrauf: This was my decision. Sorry you didn’t like it. Glad you and others saw @wendydavistexas‘ awesome speech @TCDP‘s private event.
— Jan Soifer (@jansoifer) January 30, 2014
That bit of cheerleading didn’t go over very well.
@jansoifer @TCDP -what a poor strategic decision! Wasn’t just me who disliked. Ask the @WendyDavisTexas press team which dealt with fallout.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
. @jansoifer Glad you support your decision that put a gubernatorial candidate’s campaign in the cross hairs on press access.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Here @jansoifer — explain to @BoDelp and @racunatx how your decision hurt their credibility with the press corps.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Soifer stopped responding. Tellingly, Democrat activist Phillip Martin chimed in to defend the TCDP, the Davis campaign and the Tribune, with a bit of juvenile snark.
Someone get @davidrauf a beer.
— PhillipMartin (@PhillipMartin) January 30, 2014
Rauf wasn’t amused.
@PhillipMartin Or a legit answer.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Rauf also questioned the Democratic Party’s actions. Bo Delp and Rebecca Acuna work for the Davis campaign and the Texas Democratic Party, respectively.
And maybe @BoDelp and @racunatx will explain why they didn’t push HARD against @jansoifer or @TDCP for equal press access to a stump speech
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
Martin, the juicebox activist, tried again.
@davidrauf I don’t think the Trib got access to ask questions – just to livestream, right? That’s part of their kick-starter thing.
— PhillipMartin (@PhillipMartin) January 30, 2014
Rauf, recipient of the Monday “stay away” press release, countered.
@PhillipMartin Davis campaign said they didn’t realize it would cause a stink with competitive media to allow access to one outlet. Hogwash.
— David Saleh Rauf (@davidrauf) January 30, 2014
The episode leaves a strong impression that the Texas Tribune, the Davis campaign and the Democratic Party operations colluded to keep the rest of Texas’ political press away from Wendy Davis as she continues to struggle with the fallout from revelations about her origins story. Rauf insinuates that. The TCDP’s behavior is bizarre, first telling media to stay away, then breezily defending its decision in an obvious lie that was sure to be called out in public. Martin’s interventions proved counterproductive. He needlessly antagonized a reporter who was doing his job.
Davis’ credibility is already suffering heavy blows from her policy flubs and her shading of the facts about herself. Sparking a war against the majority of the political press in the state is so unwise that it verges on lunacy.
Update: Coup de grace.
@davidrauf, you and all other esteemed members of the Capitol Press Corps are welcome to our Reagan Day Dinner! Details TBA.
— Travis County GOP (@TravisGOP) January 30, 2014
Update: A comment from a television news director in Texas: “Who the f*ck is the Texas Tribune other than a news organization that violates every ethical standard possible – begging for money in the course of their reporting?”
The Tribune is a tax-exempt non-profit, and as such is not supposed to be in competition with any other media.
Update: Another journalist said today: “What kind of planning was it to have Davis give the best speech of her life on the same night as the State of the Union?”
Good question.
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