The Lie is the Story
Top Story: The Lie IS the story
“I'm just asking what do you mean by that? What do you mean by grooming?” Scott Pelley asked Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, the founders of the national book-banning organization Moms for Liberty.
Pelley was interviewing the two women for a recent 60 Minutes episode on the group’s efforts to ban 97 books from a school library in Beaufort, S.C.
The representatives of the group could not define the term, although it is a favorite Moms for Liberty taunt, and the use of it, is just one of the many tactics the extremist group uses to punish parents, teachers and librarians who oppose its highly unpopular book banning campaign.
Pelley’s question was one of several during the 13-minute segment in which the veteran journalist took the two women to task for coming on national TV, unable to define their central complaints.
It’s not clear why the well-connected leaders, with ties to the Republican Party, were so ill-prepared for their big moment. 60 Minutes, after all, has millions of viewers, and is one of the most watched news shows on TV.
But it is clear that Pelley was prepared, ready for a probing conversation about their passion project.
For those who watched it, the segment was a master lesson in good journalism. Pelley never got confused about why book banning in a democracy is bad. He never let his interviewees slide away; and he told a small story about one town to tell a big story about our country and a central battle raging in communities large and small.
We all love stories about heroes. On Sunday, Scott Pelley was ours.
Tips on Covering Dishonest Disruptors
Let the lie stay
When Pelley asked the two women what a groomer was, they had no answer.
When Pelley asked them to describe the school indoctrination that so worried them, he had to repeat the question. Even after that, they never really answered it.
And he told his viewers as much:
“They often dodged questions with talking points.”
Their unfounded claims became a big part of his revealing story and gave viewers a better sense of the group’s larger lack of credibility and seriousness.
Encourage your sources to crystalize the conflict
What exactly was the real issue for the parents and teachers in Beaufort when book banners came to town?
Pelley interviewed Dick Geier, the vice chair of the district’s school board. He laid it out in clear and concise terms. Suddenly the freedom-fighters sounded like people robbing other people of their rights.
“Parents have the right to determine what their children are taught and what they're allowed to read. No doubt about it. But what we're having a problem with is parents that want to determine what other parents' rights are for their children to read what they want.”
Find reasonable opponents
Beaufort didn’t dismiss allegations that inappropriate books inundated their school libraries. They swiftly took it upon themselves to find the truth, making them an important foil for the Moms for Liberty representatives who were evading it.
Remember: Less is more
With so many glaring problems with a group that’s made a cottage industry out of harassing community members, it can be overwhelming to figure out what exactly to focus on.
Honing in on one place, battle or person can allow your readers and listeners see how the group’s harassment tactics actually impact real people. A micro-examination like the one Pelley did, was a lot more powerful than a report on all the places Moms for Liberty has harassed parents.
Want Background on Moms for Liberty:
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“School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics & the Battle for Public Education”
by award-winning education journalist Laura Pappano
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