Answer from Ray Levato
Ray Levato, who hassled Jon Powers at least week’s press conference and works with David Bellavia’s wife, was good enough to answer my email questioning him about his coments:
Sorry, just getting this today Mon. because our e-mail has been down.
No. I simply wanted to ask why he offered Bellavia a “Mulligan.” By doing that, he accepts the premise that Bellavia was making a racial comment, when everyone in our newsroom — and I mean EVERYONE — knew he was referring to Woods simply as a sports figure.
I think Powers answered the questions OK and that’s why I didn’t pursue it after his lengthy answer.
I don’t know much about blogging, but I’m not at liberty to infuse my personal feelings into my stories as you apparently can do. Yes, I work with Mr. Bellavia’s wife but that has nothing to do with my question. I assure you I would have asked Mr. Bellavia the same thing if Powers had made the original comment and Bellavia jumped on the racial bandwagon.
I feel it’s my duty as a faithful messenger of the truth to challenge people if I feel that are taking a cheap shot at someone or some thing. I get paid to ask the tough questions. And I believe as many prominent African-Americans are now saying and writing, that we should look beyond race in our dealings whenever possible. If not, we’ll be mired in this black-white thing forever.
I hope that explains my rationale.
While I do appreciate that Mr. Levato answered my email, I find it strange that he criticized me for infusing “my personal feelings into my stories” while explaining his own behavior on this story, which has been described to me by everyone I’ve spoken to as unprofessional at best.
I do not expect that his answer will provoke a favorable response from RT readers, but I do ask you all to at least credit him for replying to my email.
Update: TheAlbanyProject has more on another reader’s exchange on this topic with Ray Levato.
Self-regard much, Mr. Levato?
I’m not a golfer, but isn’t a “mulligan” a do-over? Since Tiger Woods is a golfer, it seems like the appropriate sports-based (not race-based) metaphor for giving Bellavia a chance to re-phrase. In other words, Powers was trying to step back and keep out of the whole dust-up, not pursue it.
Plus, who cares what EVERYONE in the newsroom thinks — Keith Olbermann thought it had racial overtones. Whether Olbermann was right, wrong or biased, his use of the clip on his show makes it a legitimate story. When a Rochester politician makes national news, it’s a story.
Rottenchester’s comments are dead on. The Albany Project has a different email sent out by the reporter, and he sounds a lot more biased and angry in that one.
http://www.thealbanyproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2803
What happened to the new video post of Bellavia? It seems to have disappeared?
I had responded in it with regards to Tiger’s own experiences back in the mid 90’s and Fuzzy Zoeller’s remarks when Tiger first showed up on the scene:
Shortly thereafter, the media, and especially Sports Illustrated painted Wood’s interracial background as anything BUT black.
The good old boys couldn’t admit it then, and they can’t admit it now when a man of color may actually be elected as President of this country.
So I would think in the name of “passion” and the “truth”, Mr. Levato would have asked the same hard questions, and not assume that “everyone” in the room knew what he (Bellavia) was thinking.
It remains in appearance that it was Levato who gave Bellavia the “mulligan” all while trying to turn the tables on Powers at the press conference.
And that’s hardly a failure on his part to infuse his “personal feelings into my storiesâ€ÂÂ.
If the story had not been perceived as such, it wouldn’t have gone national - and the concensus of opinion was the same. Mr. Levato - you are no Keith Olbermann.
What happened to the new video post of Bellavia? It seems to have disappeared?
The one where he talks about airports?
Yes…
It’s right here.
Ah, thanks. My response must have gotten stuck in the spam filter.
I credit the terrible reporter for responding, but he responded with bias. He didn’t question Bellavia about the comment, and he calls Powers a wagon jumper, when in fact his comment was a golf comment? How f*cking stupid is this guy?
I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around how he could think “Mulligan” was a racial epithet, too. But it sounds like he really does believe that. It’s becoming like a Stephen Colbert bit brought to life.
It’s total BS. If that is really his belief, then he’s too dim witted to be a reporter. Do “hole in one” and “par for the course” then become deragatory too? P-leease!
Eagle, birdie, bogie-watch out, I’m on a roll here!
Sounds like Ray was just “playing through” to imagining controversy.
Why does it have to be like that? What can’t Powers give Bellavia a “mulligan” for an odd metaphor? I mean leaping from McSame to Woods was weird. Simply weird.
I’m sure Bellavia had a point but the way he presented it - failed. Powers to Bellavia - try again.
But no controversy - the media thinks there is no story.
I mean look at the Airport Clip - Bellavia gets his facts wrong trying to make a point.
Sounds like Ray was just “playing through†to imagining controversy.
Funny.
Hey Exile, let me point out that in a blog, its perfectly okay to have your own feelings in your story. You even admitted as much months ago, when you said something to the effect that what you do isn’t always journalism. But now Mr. Levato, he theoretically should be practicing journalism, and his reporting and questioning certainly seemed to have a certain amount of his own personal feelings.
That’s my point — that he is letting his personal feelings in as well.
His initial accusation that Powers had made the remark reminded me of when Fox news put a (D) in front of Mark Foley’s name.