Counterproposal: Sun / FOX45 Televised Forum

The following letter was sent from the Scott campaign to the Baltimore Sun and FOX45 in response to an invitation for an exclusive forum between Mayor Brandon Scott and former mayor Dixon, moderated by Armstrong Williams.

March 13, 2024

Mayor Brandon Scott
People for Brandon M. Scott
1215 E Fort Ave Ste. 106
Baltimore, MD 21230

Re: Counterproposal on Baltimore Sun / FOX45 WBFF Televised Forum

Dear Armstrong Williams and David Smith, 

In response to the Baltimore Sun and FOX45 WBFF invitation to a televised forum extended to myself and former Mayor Sheila Dixon today, I wanted to extend a counterproposal. I am dedicated to engaging with all Baltimoreans, and in this new partnership, both the Baltimore Sun and FOX45 WBFF have a reach that extends to a significant portion of Baltimore residents. I think both media organizations have a distinct responsibility to take their role in this process seriously.

Repeatedly FOX45 WBFF has showcased themselves to be entirely incapable of being impartial and ethical in their approach. Similarly, Mr. Williams has made his political affiliations and opinions clear in a number of venues, publications, and through political donations.

I am more than willing to join a debate hosted by this partnership and aired on FOX45 WBFF, under the condition that they take significant steps to showcase a clear commitment to an entirely impartial debate. Only under the very reasonable conditions outlined here, can all Baltimoreans – whether they are candidates for Mayor or simply city residents who are committed to an untainted democracy – be assured that a FOX45 debate would be open, fair, balanced, and impartial. 

Conditions:

• An impartial, outside moderator not employed by or affiliated with the Sinclair Broadcast Group or current Baltimore Sun ownership. This moderator must also be in full, personal editorial control of the questions, without any influence from or advance notice of what the questions will be to either the candidates or FOX45 & Baltimore Sun staff, reporters, producers, editors, or leadership.

• Live, primetime TV broadcast of the entirety of the debate – not live-to-tape, pre-recorded, or solely online livestream broadcast without accompanying live TV Broadcast. If the debate is aired after the fact, it must be aired in its entirety, not “edited for time.” 

• The debate rules must have provisions that allow for direct response between candidates.

• All questions must be asked via the established moderators.
  

In order to fulfill the first condition, we have outlined the type of moderators that would conceivably meet the requirements. The below list is not comprehensive of those who could be acceptable moderators. The following names have been identified as trusted, fair, impartial reporters who are not currently direct competitors to Mr. Williams as a columnist or to FOX45 or Sinclair’s own reporters. Each of them also has some tie to or previous experience reporting in Baltimore and would be unlikely to bow to pressures from Mr. Williams, Mr. Smith, or FOX45’s leadership to compromise the independence of their role as an outside moderator.

Suggested impartial, outside moderators

1. Luke Broadwater, New York Times reporter, former Baltimore Sun reporter

2. Annie Linskey, Wall Street Journal reporter, former Baltimore Sun reporter

3. Josh Kurtz, Maryland Matters Founding Editor

4. Lea Skene, Associated Press - Baltimore reporter

5. Kojo Nnamdi, WAMU Radio Host

6. Omar Jimenez, CNN Anchor, former WBAL-TV reporter

7. Victor Blackwell, CNN Anchor, Baltimore native

8. April Ryan, The Grio White House Correspondent and Morgan State University alum

9. Benjamin A. Davis, former national & local broadcast journalist and editor, current Chair of Morgan State University’s Department of Multimedia Journalism

10. Mark Feldstein, former award-winning on-air investigative correspondent and Richard Eaton Chair of Broadcast Journalism at UMD’s Philip Merrill School of Journalism 
    

Please reply at your earliest convenience. It is incredibly important for us to provide the residents of Baltimore with the most impartial process possible as they make their decision on the future of our city. 

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Mayor Brandon M. Scott