Jesse Ventura Asks: Do I Stand Alone?

Ventura's book: Do I Stand Alone? (Pocket Books)

September 27, 2000 -- Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is no fan of the media. The former wrestler and sometimes gruff public figure often goes to mat over tough issues of free speech and media reliability.

In an online essay made available first to NPR Online users, Ventura fantasizes about a reverse press conference, in which he fries reporters for their lack of scruples. In reality, he says some media outlets are better than others, though he warns that you should ALWAYS be skeptical. Ventura talks to Morning Edition guest host Mike Schuster about his book, Do I Stand Alone? and his ideal press conference.

Listen to the entire interview.


My Turn to Grill the Media
Governor Jesse Ventura's Reverse Press Conference

"I’ve got a problem with a certain segment of the American media. Now granted, just like in any profession, most media people are decent folks. The capitol beat reporters I work with every day do a terrific job, and many of our national anchorpeople have deservedly fine reputations. But too many people in journalism today seem to view free speech as carte blanche. Time and again, they’ve ignored opportunities to discuss my policies or my approach to issues, because they’d rather crank out a steady stream of attacks, rumors, and out-and-out lies. No matter what I do, they find a way to put a sleazy spin on it.

And that’s the way it is, day in and day out, for just about every public figure in America today. My experiences with this element of the media have been a real eye-opener for me. They’ve made me realize that we have a very serious problem in this country: we can’t trust our media to give us reliable information.

The SEAL in me doesn’t get mad, he gets even. So I’ve put together a sort of fantasy media conference–a press conference in reverse, if you will. I’ve invited all the journalists I know who have a reputation for sleazy reporting. I won’t name names; I’ll leave it up to you to find out who they are. This time, I get to ask the questions. I’m going to shine a spotlight on some of the worst tricks in their game, so you can see how you’re being lied to, manipulated, and taken advantage of by some of the very people you rely on for information every day.

My fantasy conference is about to get started. The pack of reporters rustles hungrily as I approach the podium. They look like they’re ready to strangle each other for a chance to ask their questions. But if they knew what I’ve got in store for them today, they’d be quivering in their chairs.



GOVERNOR VENTURA: Today’s conference is going to be a little different from the way we usually do it. Today I’m asking you the questions. Time and again, I’ve watched many of you print sleaze instead of fact. I’ve watched you misrepresent the truth. I’ve seen you chop the legs out from under America’s heroes. And for almost two years now I’ve seen firsthand the way you go looking for ways to bring public figures down. How do you sleep at night? How is it that you don’t think you have any responsibility to provide the American public with reliable information? I just want to see how you explain yourselves. Anyone care to comment?

An aggressive cub reporter hops up immediately.

CUB REPORTER: We just report the facts. We’re not responsible for what people do with them.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Just the facts? But don’t you think that once in a while you ought to check your facts? Remember that security guard that was fingered in the Olympic bombing in Atlanta a few years back? You guys had him tried and convicted in the court of public opinion before he ever faced a judge. And as it turned out, he was innocent. But you saw to it that his reputation was ruined on a national scale. After an incident like that, it looks to me like you’re more interested in printing rumors than facts.

CUB REPORTER: We have a right to print a rumor, as long as we say it’s a rumor.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Yeah, but then somewhere along the way the word rumor gets conveniently left out.

CUB REPORTER: Sometimes our editors edit away the content of what we write.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: So you’re saying you have no control over the editorial process? That’s a convenient way to shirk responsibility.

CUB REPORTER: But what are we supposed to do about it? Only a tiny percentage of journalists in this country have the power to fire their editors.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Don’t give me that crap. You can fire your editor whenever you want. It’s called "I quit!" If your editor isn’t representing what you’ve written, you’re free to go work for somebody else. If somebody’s doing this to your work, and you keep writing for him, you’re allowing yourself to be co-opted by the system.

The young reporter storms from the room, red in the face. An older, somewhat calmer reporter raises his hand.

OLDER REPORTER: Governor, you can’t be suggesting that we’re responsible for people’s opinions?

GOVERNOR VENTURA: So who is responsible, if you’re not?

OLDER REPORTER: The public is responsible for making its own judgments.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: But if the information is incomplete–or wrong–how can they make sound judgments? Case in point: Back in 1987 one of you wrote an article accusing me of going into a Montana bar with three hunting buddies and harassing one of the dancers. Same story: It was a big bald guy, so it must have been me, right? Well, first of all, I’ve never been hunting in Montana, and second, at the time of the incident, I wasn’t bald! I didn’t start shaving my head until the early nineties! But "the governor assaulted a woman" makes great copy, so you fly with it!

GOSSIP COLUMNIST: That reporter apologized to you. How dare you bring it up again!

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Sure she apologized, when she was made to. But of all the people who read that article, how many also got the news that the article wasn’t true? You guys print these things with total disregard for the permanent damage you do to people’s reputations. How is that a service to the American people, to feed them out-and-out lies?

The media people rustle angrily.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: And how could you possibly claim you’re responsible to the American people after the way you handled the whole Monica Lewinsky mess? Don’t you think that sent a pretty clear message to the American public? The public kept signaling in every way they knew how that they were sick of the whole issue, yet you still wouldn’t let go of it. Poll after poll told you the American public was ready to move on. So how come you kept stirring it up, again and again?

A slick journalist in an expensive suit pushes his way forward. He looks me straight in the eye. He thinks he’s got me.

SLICK JOURNALIST: If the public is so sick of the story, then how come they kept grabbing up every Lewinsky headline we printed?

GOVERNOR VENTURA: I think there’s a pretty big sector of the public that got hooked on this stuff, but they’re not the majority. You people have helped create an appetite in some sectors of the public. Especially the younger folks, who are vulnerable to this stuff. If you offer them a smorgasbord of pizzas and cheeseburgers, are they going to go looking for that tiny bit of steamed broccoli off in the corner?

SLICK JOURNALIST: So now we’re responsible for degrading America’s youth?

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Damn straight you are. You’re not the only ones who are responsible. But you own a pretty big chunk of the blame.

UPSET MEDIA GUY: You can’t tell us what we can and can’t print. We’re protected by free speech!

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Does freedom of speech mean freedom from responsibility? Does it mean you don’t have to check your sources? Does it mean you can push your own personal opinion as news? Does it mean you can create the news, instead of reporting it?

TICKED-OFF MEDIA WOMAN: That’s not fair! We’re a commercial operation. We have to print what sells. Is it our fault Americans want their news sleazy?

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Do we have any choice? Fights and scandals and sensationalism are just about all we get these days. If anybody starts looking too good in the public eye, you go out of your way to take ’em down. How come the only heroes you’ll let us have are Gore and Bush? And them only until the election’s over!

UPSET MEDIA GUY: Because scandal is what sells papers! Nobody wants to read about somebody who has a pristine life and a spotless record. We’ve got families to feed, you know.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: And big payments on your Lexus. Yeah, I know.

The media people are seething. They’re beginning to surge forward menacingly. I’m starting to think about what I’m going to do if any of them try to jump me. How’s it gonna look if I have to body slam one of these guys?

GOVERNOR VENTURA: So you’re saying that as long as we buy this stuff, you’ll keep printing it? Until we start insisting on intelligent news from reliable sources, you’re going to keep right on cranking out the sleaze? Is that what you want me to tell the American public?

Now my security guys are stepping in, backing me out of the room to safety. I lock eyes with the media people for one last moment.

GOVERNOR VENTURA: Okay. You got it. I’ll tell them.

And now you’ve been told."

The text is also downloadable from SimonSays.com.

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