Determination
20
Minnesota
News Council
In the Matter of the Complaint of
Michael McKee against the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Michael McKee of St. Paul complained that the paper arbitrarily
denied him fair access to its letters-to-the-editor column. He also
charged the paper with refusal to print divergent viewpoints on controversial
subjects or letters not in sympathy with the editor's viewpoint.
Background: Over a five-year period McKee
submitted 38 letters to the newspaper, of which approximately one-third
to one-half (by McKee's estimate) were printed. According to the newspaper
editor, about three letters from McKee were published in 1976. However,
four anti-abortion letters of his, submitted from January through
July, were not published.
Response of the news organization: The paper
chose not to appear at the Council hearing, but the editor in a written
statement disputed McKee's charges, explaining that the letters were
rejected because they were not timely and that other similar letters
had already covered the subject. The editor noted that other letter
writers also have a right to publication. He stated, "We don't really
have to publish any letters at all. We are not bound by any fairness
doctrine, no law."
Determination of the Council: There was no
evidence to support the charge that the paper showed continuing bias
against certain viewpoints in the letters chosen for publication.
McKee was not denied fair access, considering the number of his letters
published by the paper.
The complaint against the newspaper is not upheld.
August 10, 1976
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