[Journalists] Fw: MT Baltimore Examiner story on media coverage ofblind candidate

[Cooke, AnneMarie]

Thanks, Deborah. Were you at convention? We mised you at Monday meeting and I didn
't catch up with you in exhibit hall.
Annemarie

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: journalists-bounces at nfbnet.org on behalf of Deborah Kendrick 
	Sent: Wed 7/12/2006 2:19 PM 
	To: Blind Professional Journalists List 
	Cc: 
	Subject: [Journalists] Fw: MT Baltimore Examiner story on media coverage ofblind candidate
	
	

	Thought you'd all like to see this.
	I love the headline and lead.  And wonder how the reporter copes with such a
	last name!
	But love the story.
	Deborah
	
	----- Original Message -----
	 Baltimore Examiner story on media coverage of blind candidate
	
	
	Lt. governor hopeful, media take on role of blindness
	PDF | Email
	Jaime Malarkey, The Examiner
	Jul 12, 2006 5:00 AM (6 hrs ago)
	
	BALTIMORE - Think it's tough to criticize a blind former missionary and
	mother of two?
	
	
	Bring it on, says Kristen Cox, Maryland's Republican candidate for
	lieutenant governor.
	Already, "untested" and "inexperienced" are among the blue-plate words
	reporters are using to describe her, Cox said, and constant references to
	her disability are testing her patience.
	"But I think it's to be expected," Cox told The Examiner Tuesday. "People
	are curious and I think that would be the characteristic they would
	initially focus on."
	But Cox said she hopes in weeks to come the public and press will focus less
	on her blindness and more on her vision for Maryland's future, and her track
	record as the state's Secretary on Disabilities under Gov. Robert Ehrlich.
	As long as news coverage is fair and accurate, Cox said she's ready for
	judgment.
	Media experts said they expect journalists to critique Cox the same as any
	other politician, but don't expect them to drop her disability.
	"It's kind of like race - reporters still mention race in a lot of stories,"
	said Beth Haller, a journalism professor at Towson University who has
	researched news coverage of disability issues. "It's something unique that
	adds a little something to the story."
	That's OK for David Paterson, a black, blind candidate for lieutenant
	governor in New York. He said he began his political career trying to hide
	his blindness, until a local restaurant owner called Paterson arrogant for
	not waving back to him as he walked by.
	After telling the man about his sight problems, he attended a fundraiser and
	donated 10 times more than Paterson asked, he said in a phone interview
	Tuesday.
	But Paterson said constant references to his disability in newsprint
	sometimes makes him feel like a trailblazer for equal opportunity rights, or
	that he is using his blindness to manipulate politics. But, he said, being
	blind doesn't mean journalists are softer on him - they just pay more
	attention.
	"When I'm good, they like that I'm good, but when I'm bad, they note that
	I'm bad," he said. "There's no middle ground."
	Regardless of publicity, blindness advocates said Cox and Paterson's
	candidacies are testaments to increasing independence for the disabled.
	Marc Maurer, president of the Baltimore-based National Federation for the
	Blind, called Cox a "leader who happens to be blind."
	"I am proud to live in a state where blindness is not considered to be a
	barrier for running for public office," Maurer said.
	jmalarkey at baltimoreexaminer.com
	
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