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Overby Accepts Neuharth Journalism Award
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| The sister and brother duo of Shannon and Adam Wright perform a duet during a concert of The “Freedom Sings” Band titled Rhythm & News. The concert, performed on the Slagle Auditorium stage, was a musical tribute to the newly opened Newseum in Washington, D.C. (DAVID LIAS/VERMILLION PLAIN TALK) |
By David Lias
Vermillion Plain Talk
VERMILLION — Charles Overby, CEO of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., admits that for a long time, he struggled to define the exact role of the Freedom Forum, created by his boss, Al Neuharth.
“I finally came up with realization that the Freedom Forum is a non-partisan foundation dedicated to trying to get the media and the public to understand one another better,” he said Thursday night in Slagle Auditorium on The University of South Dakota campus. “What I find, year in and year out, is the public does not understand the media, and conversely, the media do not understand the public.”
Overby was in Vermillion Thursday to take part in activities at the Al Neuharth Media Center during the day. That evening, Neuharth, a South Dakota native, 1950 graduate of USD and former CEO of Gannett Co., presented Overby with the 2008 Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media.
Overby told a capacity audience Thursday that the misunderstanding between the public and the media is compounded every four years with each presidential election.
“Emotions run high in presidential elections,” he said. “That creates a lot of dissatisfaction. With each passing campaign, the seriousness of the dissatisfaction seems to increase.”
Soon, Overby said, the politicians are demonizing one another, the media and the politicians distrust each other, and the public distrusts everybody.
“It’s a wonder we’ve been able to hold this country together,” he said.
Overby said this distrust will never be eliminated, but he does believe it can be reduced.
“First, we have to accept the idea that politics is a contact sport,” he said. “It has always been that way.”
There is a trend in this country, he said, of less and less civilized politics, brought about by an increasing degree of negative political advertising in campaigns.
“Too often, the negative advertising takes something out of context, or oversimplifies it, or distorts its,” Overby said. “This negative campaigning has filtered down to the state level, and you have seen it right here in South Dakota.
“Every poll shows that the public hates negative advertising,” he said, “so why do these ads keep running? Because negative ads work. They raise enough doubts among undecided voters that candidates are willing to keep running them. And for some candidates — maybe all candidates — winning is everything.”
Overby was greeted with politic applause from his audience when he suggested that winning in politics at any cost is a dangerous strategy for the long-term future of the nation.
“Negative ads are fueling a dangerous cynicism,” he said. “How can we expect the best people in the country to offer themselves for public service if they are subjected to distorted, often personal, negative ads. I believe politicians need to be held accountable for their inappropriate negative ads.”
“I finally came up with realization that the Freedom Forum is a non-partisan foundation dedicated to trying to get the media and the public to understand one another better,” he said Thursday night in Slagle Auditorium on The University of South Dakota campus. “What I find, year in and year out, is the public does not understand the media, and conversely, the media do not understand the public.”
Overby was in Vermillion Thursday to take part in activities at the Al Neuharth Media Center during the day. That evening, Neuharth, a South Dakota native, 1950 graduate of USD and former CEO of Gannett Co., presented Overby with the 2008 Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media.
Overby told a capacity audience Thursday that the misunderstanding between the public and the media is compounded every four years with each presidential election.
“Emotions run high in presidential elections,” he said. “That creates a lot of dissatisfaction. With each passing campaign, the seriousness of the dissatisfaction seems to increase.”
Soon, Overby said, the politicians are demonizing one another, the media and the politicians distrust each other, and the public distrusts everybody.
“It’s a wonder we’ve been able to hold this country together,” he said.
Overby said this distrust will never be eliminated, but he does believe it can be reduced.
“First, we have to accept the idea that politics is a contact sport,” he said. “It has always been that way.”
There is a trend in this country, he said, of less and less civilized politics, brought about by an increasing degree of negative political advertising in campaigns.
“Too often, the negative advertising takes something out of context, or oversimplifies it, or distorts its,” Overby said. “This negative campaigning has filtered down to the state level, and you have seen it right here in South Dakota.
“Every poll shows that the public hates negative advertising,” he said, “so why do these ads keep running? Because negative ads work. They raise enough doubts among undecided voters that candidates are willing to keep running them. And for some candidates — maybe all candidates — winning is everything.”
Overby was greeted with politic applause from his audience when he suggested that winning in politics at any cost is a dangerous strategy for the long-term future of the nation.
“Negative ads are fueling a dangerous cynicism,” he said. “How can we expect the best people in the country to offer themselves for public service if they are subjected to distorted, often personal, negative ads. I believe politicians need to be held accountable for their inappropriate negative ads.”
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| Overby: Presidential Race ‘Much Uglier’ | Daily Record (10/09/08) |
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