[Lee Mokhee's Homopoliticus] The True Homopoliticus

Imokhee, Asia Economy Senior Correspondent

Record it. This was the first commandment taught by senior reporters during my early days as a junior political reporter. Properly noting down what the other party says is the basic duty of a journalist. Later, when you review your notes, various situations arise. Some remarks are fit to be directly transferred into articles. The late former lawmaker Lee Chun-gu was like that. Though he appeared like the Grim Reaper, he was surprisingly warm and logical. Most politicians speak ambiguously, leaving room to escape.

Record it. Nowadays, smartphones serve as reporters’ notebooks. Just press the record button. Recording has become routine both in the journalism community and in politics. In the past, releasing transcripts was very rare. It was either secret recordings or wiretaps by authorities. Transcripts were revealed in expos? form when political conflicts escalated to extremes.

When I was a political desk editor, a junior reporter got embroiled in a lawsuit. He wrote an article based on a powerful politician’s remarks. When controversy arose, the politician denied it. The evidence was the meticulously kept notes. The judge knew that the politician denied what he had said. The lawsuit was withdrawn at an appropriate point. Later, the politician apologized to the newspaper.

Politics is the art of whitespace. Compromise and negotiation happen within paradoxical dialogues. Political reporting is no different. The overall direction is important. We did not quarrel over every single word. Recently, People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok clashed with the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign, and several transcripts were leaked. It was political disappearance. Most media and voters were uninterested in the essence. Everyone grew tired of the back-and-forth over a few words. The statements from ruling and opposition party spokespersons were also a continuous game of nitpicking.

Anyway, this is an era of misunderstanding. The time when irrelevant matters were buried is over. With the development of new media and diversified press, if you aim for the presidency, you must now pay attention to every tone and gesture. The saying “the devil is in the details” feels heavier than ever.

When I meet young political reporters these days, I am often surprised. Their closeness with sources is less than that of previous seniors. Yet, their analytical sense is excellent. Ordinary voters are the same. Their interest in politics and cold criticism are not trivial.

Still, it is regrettable. For decades as a political reporter, I have loudly advocated for policy elections through the pages. But reality drifts further away. The public prioritizes entertainment. Media cannot ignore revenue from mobile and internet article clicks. Field reporters cannot help but respond accordingly. I feel my own perspective on politics is becoming lighter. I want to slow down that pace even a little. I return to the original mindset from when I was trained as a political reporter.

When classifying political articles, the most important is the straight news. It covers policies and personnel matters related to the framework of national governance. It decorates the front page of print newspapers or the first page of each section. Next is the analysis. It explains the meaning of the straight news. If more explanation is needed, a Q&A with sources is included. If still insufficient, sketches are turned into articles, showing scenes from the field or behind-the-scenes stories. There are also pages conveying opinions of each media outlet, such as editorials and columns.

Until the early 1990s, newspapers had a separate political gossip section. Light stories that were hard to write as sketches. It was highly readable. Politicians wanted to be mentioned there. “Except for obituary articles, it’s better to appear in the media.” Politicians said so at the time. Recognition was important. Unless it involved legal action, it was better to be mentioned even if slightly twisted.

That gossip section disappeared. It was a time full of major political issues. Senior journalists awakened to not ridicule politics with gossip. But solemnity did not fit the public. Especially with the internet opening an era of abundant information. The media responded to readers’ interests with feature articles and storytelling. Essential content and entertaining seasoning. Which is more important?

Nowadays, gossip sections seem to overwhelm media coverage. Are feature and storytelling articles just expanded gossip? Bus and subway fares have long been a staple topic in presidential TV debates. Candidates felt embarrassed if they didn’t know. But it did not cause serious damage. Now it’s different. How to use vending machines, the direction of ritual wine cups, etc. In the 2017 presidential election, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s support plummeted after criticism that he was out of touch with common people’s hardships. Taxes, real estate, welfare policies, inter-Korean issues, defense, diplomacy. Compared to substantial debates affecting citizens’ lives, gossip-like trivialities have become more painful.

There is a saying, “The tail wags the dog.” In media terms, it means “Gossip has pushed straight news out of sight.” Of course, the tail and head are connected by nerves. If the tail is weak, how can the head be intact? That argument has merit. Still, if you rank priorities, the head comes first. Judging from the head when choosing a candidate reduces trial and error. It is the way to avoid being swept away by momentary feelings.

Presidential candidate camps must awaken first. I hope they sincerely present policies for the nation’s long-term future and accept judgment accordingly. Gossip performances and spreading opponents’ mistakes and slips should be seasoning. I also hope journalists writing political articles think more carefully. Is the article you are writing straight news or gossip? Readers too, please consider whether the published article addresses the essence.

Neither journalists nor voters are omniscient. Still, when an important event like a presidential election approaches, one should have one or two fields to focus on. Sharp issues like real estate policy, tax policy scarier than a tiger, North Korea and security policies affecting national safety, welfare and health policies to overcome the COVID-19 era. You must carefully watch candidates’ pledges in your areas of interest and make judgments. Becoming a true Homo Politicus requires some effort.

Lee Mok-hee, Asia Economy Senior Fellow

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.