Avoiding the gotcha moments

Not sure when I discovered how much fun true journalism can be.

Didn’t happen every day, but sinking my teeth into a juicy story, I knew there was a very good chance that before it was all over, I’d be ruining someone’s Sunday.

That’s where the big stories always ended up, leading Sunday’s newspaper. It’s the dream spot for reporters like me who write stories that make people go, “What the heck?!”

---

The subjects of these stories were often government people caught doing something unethical. The tourism director who exaggerated his resume. The department director who gave out huge pay raises just days after her staff bungled a major assignment. The politician steering government work toward his friends.

I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands, of these over the years. It takes effort and skill to track these down to determine their legitimacy.

Not at all like gotcha, which is the needle-in-the-haystack approach to government watchdogging.

Some so-called sleuths of truth are playing gotcha these days with the local government. Posting emails, text messages, maybe even Facebook back chatter, looking for nuggets to make someone look bad.

These folks aren’t acting on a tip. No, this is mining for gunk. Innuendo carries more weight than fact.

Even my name has been mentioned for text messaging with a commissioner. Hmmm. Clearly, that’s mysterious. A commissioner texting a constituent about matters of significance…Yeah, I can see why that would raise eyebrows.

I have a lot of experience with this, especially in my journalistic youth. I was constantly in search of dirt under every rock.

Over time, I learned the hard way: Guess what, fella, there’s dirt under EVERY ROCK. Your rock, my rock, the commissioner’s rock, the city manager’s rock. If I dig hard enough and long enough, there’s a better than even chance I’m going to find something that causes you embarrassment or places situations in questionable light.

The problem with gotcha is there’s no endgame. It becomes just a tiresome train of despair. I wonder about the motives of someone whose constant aim is diversion.

And gotcha wildly distorts the truth. Gotcha people want others to think that corruption oozes through the back rooms of the Courthouse or City Hall. The opposite is true. Most government workers and politicians are decent humans doing their best.

How can you tell gotcha from something that requires some actual attention? Lots of ways, but gut instinct is usually best. If the info feels like a gotcha moment, it probably is. If it’s well-researched, sourced, and presented in the proper perspective, probably not a gotcha.

I’m not down on all gotcha pieces. Gotcha serves a purpose. It gets everyone’s attention: “Hey, lookie here! See what I found that you don’t know.” After a while, though, gotcha is like lettuce with no tomato. Tasteless and dry.

We have a huge election year coming up. And lots to discuss. Do me this favor, please: Don’t give in to the gotcha. Look for real patterns, not made-up ones, to determine if politicians and bureaucrats are fulfilling their promises.

That’s it for Tuesday. Enjoy it, friends.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Support the blog by subscribing to JWC Inner Circle for 99 cents/month.

Individual donations are appreciated through Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon.
​