Page 101 - Cityview_May_June_2014

Don Dare Reports:

Objective or Exaggerated?

milk—she agrees that communication

is key for the scores to contribute to
overall public health awareness: “one friendly where the average viewer
will understand.” he admits that
way to improve is open dialogue with
those we regulate. We need to listen he has only two and a half minutes,
however, to report scores and then
to their input as we talk with and train
food-service staff.”
explain what they mean.
“I have to make common-sense
Nease says, “We don’t put anyone on
probation. That’s just a misleading way stuff interesting, so I try to inject
some personality into the reporting.
of describing it.” In fact, dirty restau-
rants can receive higher scores than otherwise, it’s just numbers,” he
says. for example, a recent inspec-
clean restaurants, depending on which
violations each eatery incurs. Nor do tion deducted points for a worker
touching his apron and then failing
scores measure the relative quality of a to wash his hands before touch-
restaurant’s offerings or their nutri- WATE-TV reporter Don Dare
ing food. Dare’s report, however,
tional value. Instead, the inspections is so synonymous with Knoxville described the worker’s apron as
point out risks that should be mitigated
restaurant inspections that he says “dirty.” Dare defends this editorial-
to prevent the development of genuine viewers sometimes mistakenly izing as necessary to make it clear
hazards to patrons’ health. only in the
believe he inspects the food estab- to the viewer why such a practice is
case of an immediate threat, such as lishments himself. After all, Dare unhealthful.
blocked sewage or a lack of running
has been reporting area scores for he adds that he does not let the
water, will an inspection result in on- more than 12 years, and his “food scores affect his own dining habits
the-spot closure.
for Thought” feature airs every
because, “I’m old school and a
Both the health department and Thursday. he believes the segment three-second-rule man myself.”
virtually all Knoxville eateries are on performs a valuable public service: Besides, when a restaurant re-

the same page in that they want to “What I look for are the critical ceives a bad report, Dare says it’s
develop the best practices that can help items—those that normal people very likely going to be on its best

ensure restaurant patrons do not get like you and I would be concerned behavior immediately afterward: “A
sick. A food-borne illness traced to a about. Did the kitchen worker wash good restaurant is going to be real

specific eatery will damage its reputa- their hands when they are supposed clean then.” he agrees with both the
tion and finances far worse than any to? What about rodents or insects?
health department and restaurant

low score on an inspection sheet. Just I don’t report on a back door that owners that large restaurants have
as the health department educates wasn’t closed because people don’t a more difficult time scoring high
understand why that’s significant.”
food-service staff about best practices, than do smaller operations.
responsible local media should educate over time he has developed ongo- Against charges of sensational-
ing relationships with several Knox- ism, Dare says that his reporting is
the public about both the limits and
value of government inspections. ville health Department staff and fair in that it does not include less
has on occasion gone with inspec- significant violations. Moreover,
Rather than singling out a small busi-
ness for skewering, media can help tors when they were doing their
“when a restaurant shows a big
job. he says his identification by improvement, I will do a report in
correct the misconceptions Tennes-
seans have about the security of their viewers with the inspections often which I talk to the owner and ask
results in their sending complaints what he did to improve.”
food supply. once better informed,
voters will in turn encourage legisla- and suggestions about area restau- Dare realizes how important the
rants to him, but he forwards those score can be to a small business, as
tors to craft better remedies to prevent to the correct office: “one woman
those outbreaks—such as the one in the he worked in high school at a Dairy
told me, ‘My son and I watch you Queen owned by one of his teachers:
state government’s own backyard at every morning.’ her son was in the “That was a major livelihood to that
uTC—that can slip through the current
fifth grade. So what I try to do is teacher, and when the inspector
inspection regimen.
make my presentation consumer-
came, we were all pretty nervous.”

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