Mayor de Blasio, an unabashed progressive, may think he has nothing in common with Republicans running for President. But there are disturbing similarities in how they are answering important questions — or, more accurately, not answering them.
Republicans want more influence over televised debates. To some, the last forum Oct. 28 wasn’t just unruly, but also chock-a-block with “gotcha” (read: difficult) questions. So now they are pressing networks for fewer interruptions by moderators so the candidates can articulate their platforms on their own terms.
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Meanwhile, de Blasio is engaged in his own aggressive attempt to control the message. Most days, the mayor has a public schedule: events open to the press. One event is often followed with a question-and-answer session. In years past, these have allowed us to ask the mayor followup questions about his announcement — but also query him on other topics, whether crime, schools, politics or anything else.
This mayor and his City Hall handlers instituted a regrettable change: insisting most of those encounters be limited to the subject of the event, or “on topic.” For instance, if the mayor is at a groundbreaking for an affordable housing development, de Blasio will entertain questions only on that.
Reporters with other questions for de Blasio must wait until an off-topic availability; these now come only about once a week. Attempts to circumvent the policy — a reporter asking a question anyway — are met with a curt response, “on-topic only!”
Like Republicans’ snit over debate questions, this is an unfortunate attempt to stymie the press in its crucial duty to challenge our leaders, or would-be leaders, about their records, platforms or topical issues.
Politicians and reporters joust; that’s the nature of our relationship. Politically, sometimes that benefits politicians; witness the cheers Republicans got by bashing the media in the last debate. But I would argue that when candidates shield themselves from persistent scrutiny, the public is hurt more. Sure, media outlets sometimes have agendas, but generally the reporters I know believe in accountability.
De Blasio is also reversing his predecessors. No lovers of reporters, they still would take off-topic questions pretty much whenever press availabilities were held. So irritated were Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg by some lines of questioning, they sometimes got downright snippy.
But taking flak — and giving it back — has long been seen as part of leading the nation’s biggest city. City Hall says the mayor faces unscripted questions during radio call-ins and other venues; he also occasionally grants one-on-one interviews, as he did for me twice last month in Israel.
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I suspect his insistence on on-topic-only questions is rooted in two things: one, his desire to publicize his agenda directly through social media; and two, de Blasio’s frustration with traditional press coverage, which to his eye too often suggests this city is teetering toward crime-addled anarchy. (On this note, I sympathize. One act of crime is too many, but I assure you, the city looks nothing like it did 25 years ago.)
Still, the answer isn’t ignoring reporters, but returning fire with facts. Instead, the mayor’s policy often has him saying only some version of “no comment,” when it would serve him well to opine.
He opened himself to a string of off-topic questions Tuesday, but cut off the session with questions remaining, no doubt frustrated he was asked about his dip in polls.
Republicans running for President may have more leverage; networks are swooning for the ratings these debates bring, particularly with Donald Trump. I hope in the city we don’t need to compare leverage. After years covering him, I know de Blasio can eloquently articulate his positions. I am also sure a few times a week, he can respond personally to the city’s myriad happenings. Doing so isn’t about messaging, it’s about responsibility.
Robin is a political reporter and anchor at NY1 News.
