Determination
26
Minnesota
News Council
In the Matter of the Complaint of
Minnesota Soft Drink Association against the Mpls Tribune
Dave Locey, lobbyist for the Minnesota Soft Drink Association,
complained that the newspaper deliberately slanted its coverage of a
litter tax bill and mandatory deposit bill under consideration by the
state legislature in its 1977 session.
Background: Locey charged that the paper's
coverage, including inaccuracies and omissions as well as poorly timed
and inadequately presented corrections, reflected an editorial policy
deliberately designed to support the paper's corporate goals. (As
a litter-producing organization, the paper would be taxed under the
litter tax provision.)
The complaint focused specifically on: a misleading
headline and lead paragraph on a Minnesota Poll story that inaccurately
indicates most Minnesotans favored a mandatory deposit on beverage
containers; inaccuracies and omissions in an editorial supporting
the deposit, including failure to mention the paper's financial stake
in the outcome of the controversy; inaccuracies in news story and
headline; and inadequacy of corrections printed. Some corrections
did not appear until several weeks after the error; some corrections
were made, not directly through a specific announcement of error,
but obliquely through different information in an editorial.
Locey complained in general about what he considered
the ill-defined role of the news media as advocates of legislation,
and recommended such regulatory action as registration of editorialists
as lobbyists, to curb the advocacy power of the media.
Determination of the Council: Evidence verified
the factual errors alleged by Locey; the newspaper in part admitted
its errors. Locey's complaint that the inaccuracies and errors of
omission were inadequately corrected with respect to timing and presentation
is accepted. The correction and clarification procedures in practice
by the paper at that time were tardy, nonsystematic and generally
inadequate.To this extent, the complaint against the newspaper is
upheld.
There was no evidence to support Locey's complaint
that editorial pressure or corporate conflicts of interest affected
the integrity of the paper's coverage of the bills in question. The
Council rejects any form of government regulation of the press, and
defends a newspaper's constitutional right and responsibility to impartially
and accurately report the news, and without restraint to state its
opinions in editorials. The Council strongly opposes Locey's proposal
that editorial writers be required to register as lobbyists.
Therefore, the complaint is accepted in part, rejected
in part.
July 28, 1977
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