Watching Gov. Jim Justice’s weekly press briefing Thursday, I was reminded of a famous quote Ronald Reagan used during his presidential debates against Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale.
“There you go again.”
In addition to his faux folksy witticisms, it seems our governor can’t help but recite the same nonsense over and over, especially when talking about press coverage of his family businesses and their mounting financial woes. And lately, that focus is aimed squarely at MetroNews reporter Brad McElhinny.
Dickerson
| File photo
McElhinny has not been permitted to ask questions at the weekly briefing for a month or so now. MetroNews is one of the state’s largest and most consumed media outlets, and McElhinny is one of their top reporters. I have known Brad and worked with him for many years, and I can assure you that he is one of the good ones. He’s fair, he’s thorough, he’s accurate. In short, he’s a damn good journalist.
And, oh yeah, he’s done a lot of fantastic reporting about all of the Justice family businesses and their financial troubles.
Toward the end of Thursday’s weekly dog and pony show that included a pool shark doing trick shots in addition to some updates about government issues, Justice opened the floor to questions from the media. Instead of saying opened the floor, I should say opened the microphone because the governor’s office continues to refuse to conduct these weekly briefings in person. Who knows why.
Anyway, one of the final questions was from Associated Press reporter Leah Willingham, who asked about McElhinny and his banishment from the weekly briefings.
“He (Brad) requested to be here today, and he was denied that opportunity,” Willingham said. “Why is that? Was he asking questions you didn’t like? Reporting stories you didn’t like? Because from our side of things, that’s how it comes off. If that’s not true, I would love for you to clarify that.”
Oh no. Here we go again.
Justice began his long-winded and winding answer by saying McElhinny’s absence “could just be, you know, an oversight on our communications people.”
That’s a lie.
“The last time I was here at the briefing and maybe even the time for that, I said you know if … you know, I’m good with Brad being back on,” Justice claimed. “You know, I am not concerned or afraid of Brad negativism and everything. The only thing I would say is this, Leah. And here is all there is to it.
“When you absolutely, you know, have someone that basically is purposefully just continually trying to drag up something to say, you know, ‘I know you should’ve gotten Baby Dog eight nuggets instead of, you know, seven,’ you know. And … and … and make some story about it and really truly then what it comes out to be is nothing but fake news.”
Fake news? What a tired cliché. Also, McElhinny and other actual reporters (not keyboard warriors who claim their blogs are media outlets) have been covering the governor, state government, some of the state’s largest employers in Justice’s companies and one of the state’s most recognized landmarks in the Justice-owned Greenbrier resort. It’s neither fake news nor “trying to drag up something.” It’s information the public has a right to know and the media has a duty to cover.
“Why in the world would you just continue to just do it and do it and do it and do it,” Justice continued. “You know if Brad were really fair, you know, he would tell you just this. And you know we reached out we reached out to Hoppy (Kercheval, host of MetroNews’ Talkline) and said we gotta stop this. Not that we have to stop, you know, fair questioning and everything, but we gotta stop the vile. That’s all there is to it.
“We’ve got too many good things that are going on the state of West Virginia to deal with just purposeful vile. I’m not gonna do that, Leah. I’m not gonna do that at all. We reached out and said Hoppy, for God sakes a living, you know, we don’t want the deck stacked in our favor. No way. I’ll answer any questions. That’s why I’m here with you right now. I’ll answer any question. I’ll be tickled to death for Brad to be right back on here. But literally, all I would say to you is if someone is purposefully trying to hurt someone, for whatever the reason maybe … Because if Brad were fair, he would tell you every single time that I’ve been with Brad, I’ve been super respectful you know and not been negative in anyway, you know.”
Justice says he’ll answer any question. But again, he refuses to conduct these weekly briefings in person, thus requiring journalists to ask for permission in advance to take part in the questioning by submitting their planned questions beforehand.
And let’s go back to Justice insinuating McElhinny hasn’t been fair in his coverage and that he’s “purposefully trying to hurt someone.” Again, that’s just a lie. I know Brad well enough to know better. He’s only trying to report the truth. If it hurts thin-skinned Big Jim, that’s on Big Jim.
“You know, Leah, I don’t understand what is driving the vile other than some you know two-bit headline, you know,” Justice continued. “I absolutely … I don’t have time for that. I just don’t have time for it, and we’ll have Brad back. I hope that Brad will be just fine. That’s all. You know, if there’s something where I mis-stepped, and there’s something that that you all want to get after me on, I’m OK. I’m good with that.
“But I would expect you just to not … just not be one be one way or the other. I don’t think it’s fair for you to be super positive, super positive, super positive. I don’t think that’s fair because I don’t walk on water, for crying out loud.”
Again, I think I can speak for Brad and every other legitimate journalists who cover state government when I say we aren’t looking for a “two-bit headline.” I don’t even know what a two-bit headline is.
And, again, just because coverage of and reporting of the truth doesn’t put a person or a business in the most favorable light doesn’t make it vile or fake news. Maybe the actions of said person or business are what’s vile or fake.
Of course, Justice knows his business interests have had more than their share of troubles. And, sure, him being governor intensifies the spotlight pointed at him and his companies’ financial situation. With him running for U.S. Senate, that light shines even brighter.
It also should be noted that the very next question at Thursday’s briefing was from WSAZ reporter Curtis Johnson, another journalist I previously worked with and know quite well. Johnson and other WSAZ reporters also have been banished previously from the weekly briefings.
Johnson asked Justice another financial question about The Greenbrier.
“Curtis, I don’t know that that’s really fair,” Justice replied.
There you go again.
Maybe Justice doesn't even realize how sad and silly it sounds when he tries to deflect legitimate questions. It's almost as silly as how often he incorporates his beloved Baby Dog or a fast food reference into his responses.
The weekly press briefings also remind of a famous phrase from a soliloquy in "Macbeth" -- "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
But instead of finishing by quoting Shakespeare, I’ll end this one by using one of the folksy sayings Justice seems to enjoy. It seems quite appropriate for the governor.
If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
Dickerson is editor of The West Virginia Record.