By Jessica Driscoll
Attorney General Kathleen Kane began her speech at the Pennsylvania Press Conference on May 17 with a confession: “I have a love-hate relationship with newspapers.”
The hate part, explained Kane, has to do with her husband’s messy trail of daily newspapers. He leaves the pages all over the house. “It makes me crazy,” said Kane.
Having once worked as a district sales manager at a newspaper, Kane explained that she values the work of journalists.
“I am a big believer in newspapers and the free press; it’s what our country was founded on,” she said.
Kane described herself, professionally, as an open book, yet explained that a level of trust between journalists and law enforcement is necessary. “When we aren’t telling you something, understand it’s for a darned good reason,” Kane said.
While many tend to focus on the differences, Kane said, she wanted to speak to the commonalities between her role as Attorney General and the role of journalists.
“We all strive for the truth,” Kane said.
She also explained that both strive to get necessary information to the public.
“It’s not reality TV you are putting on the stage, it’s the facts,” she said.
To those who fear that journalism is dying, Kane refered to Mark Twain’s comment that rumors of his death had been greatly exaggerated. Kane said she believed that journalists are still providing the same services, just possibly undergoing some cosmetic changes to the way they do it.
Kane also praised the work of traditional journalists as being more in-depth.
“Being in-depth is extremely important in today’s generation,” said Kane.
Online Reporter 2013 