Montana governor: I won't talk to certain reporters

By The Associated Press

05.22.02

Printer-friendly page

HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Judy Martz told a trade group in Kalispell that she is no longer granting interviews to some of the reporters who cover her, citing what she called "misleading" stories.

Martz told the Montana Logging Association on May 17 that instead of granting interviews, she was taking only written questions from some reporters, and providing written responses.

"I'm just realizing the ones I should not talk to," the governor said.

Martz did not identify the reporters or say how many were not being granted interviews. She did say it involved only print reporters, not broadcasters.

Mary Schwarz, a spokeswoman for the governor, said May 21 that Martz would not elaborate on her comments.

The governor's remarks came in response to a question about how she felt the news media had treated her and her administration.

The Daily Inter Lake reported her responding: "You can't get past the liberal press with a bucket of ink. Very few of them write the truth."

The only news organizations that provide full-time coverage for the print media at the Capitol are the Billings Gazette State Bureau, the Great Falls Tribune and the Associated Press.

Jim Strauss, executive editor of the Tribune, said he was surprised by Martz's comments, but added that his paper's lone reporter in Helena had received no indication that access to the governor would be limited.

"I certainly hope that doesn't change," he said. "It would really hamper our ability to get her comment on issues in a timely manner."

John Kuglin, the AP's bureau chief in Helena, said the organization's statehouse reporter was asked to submit written questions in April, when the AP sought an interview with Martz about phone calls the governor made from her office to a California land developer who had been cited by state and federal agencies for environmental violations.

The AP, which also provides coverage to broadcast stations, refused and Martz eventually agreed to a brief interview.

"Submitting questions in advance to politicians that we cover is not something that the Associated Press does," Kuglin said. "We're not going to start doing this — ever."

Charles Johnson, Helena bureau chief for the Gazette, said Martz's office also earlier asked a Lee reporter to submit questions in writing. The reporter reluctantly agreed, Johnson said.

"While we weren't very happy having to do that, we felt if that's what we had to do to get answers to our questions, we would," Johnson said.

He added, however, that the bureau likely would not do so in the future.

Johnson said the governor recently declined an interview with him about NorthWestern Energy's power supply contracts the Public Service Commission is considering.

However, Johnson said the governor's staff told him she declined because she hadn't sat through the hearings, so did not feel comfortable talking about the issue.