KSTP-TV’s Tom Hauser is an old-school political reporter. He’s a pro. He plays it down the middle. He is widely respected.
Tom is the guy who asked this question at one of the daily press briefings conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health: what share of all deaths attributed to COVID-19 is accounted for by long-term care residents and others with serious medical conditions (as defined elsewhere by the CDC and the governor’s executive orders). The answer was 99.24 percent. It has since fallen to 98.46 percent.
The daily press briefing conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health set Tom off yesterday. He took to Twitter to unload. The media angle to COVID-19 in Minnesota is an important sidebar to the crisis.
Among Tom’s complaints are the following. He has a hard time joining the call and getting called on to ask a question. He finds the conference call software wanting. He notes that the public officials on the call consume time on nonsense (my translation). He notes that the lineup of reporters picked from the queue to pose questions is short and has a certain sameness about it day after day. He thinks the reporters picked from the queue have missed an obvious question or two (my translation).
I take it from Tom’s tweets that MDH nevertheless continues to apprise Tom of the calls and invite him to join. He hasn’t been blacklisted. MDH responds to Tom’s questions by email. I feel Tom’s pain, but I think I can top Tom’s complaint(s). I will take up my complaint in the adjacent post.
If you read his article there is no quote from MDH. I asked about nursing home residents being moved from hospitals back to nursing homes the week before and haven’t been able to ask a follow up since for an update. https://t.co/tL5LEmxM9u
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 27, 2020
I'm stunned every day no one asks that question…and about a dozen others. https://t.co/39Mjkwo4DB
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
You're not supposed to be able to call until 15 minutes ahead. I used to do that and had spotty success. I've been trying to call earlier with no success. Now I think I could call in a week ago Thursday and not get in. You hear the same people in almost the same order every day. https://t.co/QV3WoR9qTB
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
Oh, I've complained to MDH long before this. Nothing has changed. https://t.co/g7GyFqWB6a
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
You're not supposed to be able to call until 15 minutes ahead. I used to do that and had spotty success. I've been trying to call earlier with no success. Now I think I could call in a week ago Thursday and not get in. You hear the same people in almost the same order every day. https://t.co/QV3WoR9qTB
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
It's more than an "introductory presentation." Commissioner Malcolm went on for 15 minutes and then turned it over to Kris Ehresmann for more "presentation." Also no need for two people to answer EVERY question. My rant is almost over. https://t.co/He4PqqC7R3
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
I can get answers via e-mail…but not soundbites or their response in real time to significant questions. https://t.co/ZTlVf2vjCV
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
I've been shutout on the MDH call for the fourth day in a row. It's time to move these briefings and the governor briefings/announcements to in-person news conferences with proper social distancing. If NY Gov. Cuomo can do it every day, so can Minnesota.
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 26, 2020
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