Clarification

This is with reference to the Marianas Variety’s news article entitled “Governor Goes on Personal Leave, Campaigns in Hawaii,” as reported by Gemma Casas.

These are the facts as they are, relevant to this article: The purpose of the governor’s trip was to campaign and the one and only campaigning event here in Hawaii was before a gathering of CNMI students and patients at Magic Island. I was away on personal leave in New York and Washington D.C. when this event took place. An hour after my return to Honolulu from this trip, I attended the function at the Pagoda Hotel where the Governor did NO campaigning.

The troubling matter at hand is the placement of my quotes in Miss Casas’ report. I could easily dismiss the suspect splicing of my words with the rest of the text within the article as a hastily written report but there were a couple of missed opportunities for Miss Casas to construct her article to read right without leaving things up to interpretation. I am a political appointee, true, and this article made me come across as being untruthful covering for the governor. Another interpretation, with respect to the governor’s visit, is that the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing—that I, his appointee and Liaison Officer, did not know what my boss was up to in Hawaii—both interpretations equally damaging.

The article mentioned information found on the Politics Now website. When did your reporter visit the website, before or after she had spoken to me? Here are the missed opportunities I previously mentioned:

1. If before, she could have asked for a clarification on my response to her question about the dinner event at the Pagoda Hotel where I said there was no campaigning. And had she asked for a clarification, she would have known that I meant that comment specifically toward the Pagoda dinner which was the only event she asked me about during that telecon.

2. If after, a quick phone calls to me would have straightened any confusion she may have had. Having done neither, why then was she not specific in print that I was responding to her question referring to the dinner at the Pagoda Hotel when she wrote the following.

Governor Juan N. Babauta went on personal leave to campaign in Hawaii during a gathering organized by the CNMI’s liaison officer there, Variety learned.

The liaison office confirmed that the governor was there and met with some patients and CNMI college students studying in the state.

But Liaison Officer Jeannette D. Sablan said the governor did not use his time to campaign for his re-election bid.

“There was no one to one campaigning. They just talked about health and education. There was no chance at all for any campaigning,” said Sablan in a phone interview.

She, instead, wrote it toward the end of the article, two paragraphs below; leaving this up to interpretation, which you know during an election year, is political fodder.

“She DID answer my questions,” was her retort to Mrs. Nadine Sablan of my staff when Mrs. Sablan called Miss Casas to discuss this issue. Yes, I did answer her questions and truthfully, I add. And please know that nowhere herein have I accused her of misquoting me.

The questionable placement of text in this report borders on “media bias.” Reports slanting toward a noble cause is acceptable but when a report is constructed to influence readership during an election year, it not only discredits your paper but Miss Casas as a journalist even more so. I pray that both Miss Casas and the Marianas Variety have not chosen to go down that path and hope that you strive to hold your paper to a respectable level of professional and ethical standards.

I might add that, after having been inundated for nearly two weeks with the professional accolades for the recently departed Peter Jennings, anchorman of ABC News, Miss Casas and others in the field of journalism would have at least been able to glean some of the attributes that made this man rise above many in his profession, one of which is doing due diligence in ensuring that a report is solidly written. And you, as editor, are the anchor of your paper.

Having said this, please be aware that I have implemented a media relations policy and have informed the staff of the Marianas Hawaii Liaison Office that under my management of this office, all questions from the media would have to be submitted in writing and that a written response will be provided within 48 hours.

I thank you for your time.

Jeannette D. Sablan
Liaison Officer