I don’t Want a Bulgarian Election Campaign in the USA

168 Chassa Weekly ["168 Hours," Sofia, Bulgaria], September 17, 1999, p. 23.


Nicholas Johnson Note: A skilled reporter conducted this interview. It was first published in 168 Chassa Weekly in the original Bulgarian. A skilled translator prepared this English language translation. Nonetheless, the net result of the difficulties of going from English to Bulgarian to English, coupled with the differing levels of understanding of each other's media systems, and the inherent problems in news interviews in any language, have resulted in some of the quotes diverging from my recollection of what I at least intended to say. For example, I think it unlikely I would have said that anticommunist Senator Joseph McCarthy had an aide cut and paste two photographs to make it appear that the senator was standing next to the head of the U.S. Communist party. [There was a charge that a McCarthy aide did such a cut and paste job with a photograph of a different U.S. senator which the McCarthy forces wanted to defeat.] Thus, while I would prefer not to be held to these quotes the translation is made available as a part of the record of the visit and for such insight as it may provide. -- N.J., September 23, 1999

Journalists to expose politicians’ lies, advises Nicholas Johnson, media law expert

Mr. Johnson, how can the media foil a campaign engineered in "Wag the Dog" style?

By informing about what is happening. Our media, especially the newspapers, disclose in their publications the relation between commercials and candidates. Also how other media - radio and TV - are covering the campaign events, something like media about the media. For me this is the best way to do it, to focus the attention of society on how it is being manipulated by the candidates through the media in order to create a false image of themselves.

Which is the most inordinate manipulation that you have witnessed?

One of the worst occurred  during the time of Senator Joseph McCarthy who pretended to be something big because he was an anticommunist. One of his aides photographed him and pasted it so he appeared together with the President of the U.S. Communist party. Dirty tricks are often played on candidates in the US. For example, sending letters, purportedly by the candidate, that enrage his fans.

Do you  approve of the role of traffic controllers given journalists at the BNR and BNTV in election programs?

You are right, they have been turned into traffic controllers. The journalist’s job is to find a creative way of providing interesting information  to audiences. They may interview people on the street about the political issues of the day, unemployment, schools. They may invite citizens to the studio for debate. Another way to do it is to explain the voting process, voter registration and tabulation. There are many ways to behave like a journalist, rather than a traffic controller.

Do politicians have the right to impose this on journalists?

They definitely have the power to do it. Is it right? Personally, I wouldn’t like this system to happen in the United States.

Is it possible?

Probably not. It will create a stir.

Which are your favorite media?

I listen to the BBC. It is much better than American media which are full of the O.J. Simpson trial, Diana, Kennedy’s death, Monica Lewinsky and the President. And I am interested in Bulgaria, East Timor, Afghanistan and so on and so forth. I read the New York Times and local papers.

Nicholas Johnson was a member of the U.S. FCC for 7 years. He teaches media law at the University of Iowa. In Bulgaria he led the discussion "Election Campaigns in the Media: Comparing the American and Bulgarian Models."