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Date Posted: 00:27:09 01/30/05 Sun
Author: No name
Subject: Iseman hearts Sayso
In reply to: 's message, "Re: Iseman, Janoski, Joe B., or someone else?" on 20:33:12 01/29/05 Sat

> How could any credible journalist even defend such
> garbage?

Glad you asked.

Posted on Fri, Jan. 30, 2004

We print it just because you SAYSO
Savvy politicians can turn tables

By Dave Iseman

You know SAYSO?

Unless you've been in a coma, you probably recognize the name of our anonymous call-in line.

For about eight years, it has allowed anyone who can get to a phone the power to express an opinion without giving a name.

Supporters, me included, say it furthers freedom of speech. Of course, as one of the people editing calls, that's predictable for me to say.

Critics say the call-in line is dangerous, dastardly, damaging - a forum for cowards.

Public officials often complain about being skewered in SAYSO. Smart officials do more than complain; they talk back.

Among the local leaders who have become adept at what I call SAY-IT-AIN'T-SO are Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Jeff Namey, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta and Blue Cross spokesman Gerry Snyder.

Talking back to SAYSO is an emerging art.

As you might presume, the editor's notes that follow SAYSO calls develop from our attempts to reach officials named in calls. Some officials have also learned that adding a response to a call can be a way to issue a mini news release, sort of a SAY...YO!

Other officials have learned to use the line to admit little goofs, or misunderstandings. (Tip: Being SAYSOSORRY usually keeps the problem in the SAYSO column and out of the headlines.)

The really smart officials, the elite group of SAYSOSAVVY, have learned to go further: They throw a little humor in their responses to get readers to laugh with them - not at them.

Imagine a call about presidential candidate Howard Dean.

DEAN'S A HOTHEAD, too angry to be president. He just pops off all the time. I'm not voting for him.

Editor's note: We got Dean to respond. He said, "YOU DIRTY, ROT...ARRRRRGH. @~~&&@XX!!. Ha. Ha. Just kidding. Peace. Love."

Of course some officials disagree so strongly with the idea of SAYSO that they will never respond to calls. They typically answer: "I'll not lower myself to that level."

To each his own. But, to me, such a blanket reaction seems shortsighted.

Would the same official ignore a guy or gal speaking up from the back row of a crowded public meeting room? Why not take advantage of the audience and fire off a response?

Hearing what anonymous critics have to say is like being a fly on the wall at a secret drunken party of your worst enemies. Imagine being able to freeze the party to make everyone shut up and listen to your side.

The recent exciting election brought us some new public officials touting fresh ideas. They have been getting questioned in SAYSO. We'll be passing SAYSOSERIOUS calls to them in hopes of getting responses.

I'm looking forward to some good ones.

Please don't let me down. I'm tired of hearing about the stupidity of SAYSO callers. Many callers raise good questions. And they vote.

It might feel really noble to JUSTSAYNO to SAYSO.

But be wary. Take that high road with caution. Stay on it too long and you put yourself above everybody else.

Call Iseman at 829-7176 or e-mail davei@leader.net.

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