Playing Hardball

The Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign set up a softball game in Iowa between the campaign and the journalists who cover the candidate.

The field of dreams became more of a slippery slope when the night before the game, the Sanders campaign sent out fundraising email to supporters, offering a Bernie Sanders baseball card in exchange for a donation.

So, in other words, the media was being used as a way for the campaign to line their pockets.

KGAN Reporter Nick Weig said the actual event was free and open to the public and did not directly raise any funds for the campaign.

But, if the Journalists were not playing, there would be no reason for people to show up to watch and then have the chance to buy the Bernie Sanders baseball card, which would go to the campaign.

Once that email went out, many Journalists did the right thing and backed out of the game.

In his report, Weig says, “With 10 players taken off the roster, the only journalists left were all from Iowa, myself, as well as reporters from Iowa Starting Line, the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier and the Gazette.”

"I think it's kind of the spirit of Iowa Caucuses that, you know, you can't be serious for, what, two years?" Said James Lynch, Political Reporter for The Gazette.

Really?

We are looking to pick the leader of the free world and “you can't be serious for, what, two years?” I would hope that every Journalist would be serious.

A number of others felt that the media should stick to their job and not fraternize with the people that they cover.

Some called out Weig for doing just that and he tried defending himself and his decision on social media.

Props to the people at a “higher level” that made the right decision. Sources tell FTVLive that stations like KCRG were offered and declined from day 1, before the fundraising email went out.

Your job is to cover the campaigns and not play ball with them, both literally and figuratively.