Lynn Walsh

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Is Terry Grier afraid of video cameras? Cameras ‘counterproductive’ to HISD superintendent’s media roundtable
Wed Apr 28 14:49:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Houston ISD plans to clamp down on a no-cameras rule for a monthly journalists’ meeting with HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, a district spokesman said.

Grier has a Q/A session lasting up to two hours with local media once a month. The media roundtables provide great access for reporters, but if the medium of news delivery is video, relaying what Grier says to the public is a little more complicated.

Reporters from the major local news agencies are invited, and the entire discussion with Grier is on the record. The one stipulation: no video cameras allowed.

HISD Spokesman Norm Uhl let the no-camera rule slide at the April meeting, but in an e-mail sent today to reporters said:

“Please, no video cameras during the roundtable this time. I let that slide last time because the meeting was so late in the day and the TV folks were up against deadline. You can certainly bring a photog and do interviews after the meeting.”

Why does Grier ban video cameras in his press availability?

“That is counterproductive to what we are trying to do,” Uhl said, because cameras hamper dialogue.

“We want to get back to what it has always been, an open and honest conversation,” Uhl said. “It works better for reporters because they can get more information and ideas for future stories. Sometimes Grier will mention topics he is not ready to go on camera about.”

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org.