Determination
35
Minnesota
News Council
In the Matter of the Complaint
of
Church of Wicca against the Minneapolis Star
A man named Burtrand, high priest
of the Church of Wicca (a religion known also as witchcraft), complained
that the newspaper was unfair when it associated witchcraft with satanic
activities in two articles published on its religion page, headlined
"Occult." Burtrand claimed that the layout, taken as a whole
- including artwork, photographs and articles - perpetuated negative
and erroneous stereotypes about the occult.
Background: On March 2, 1979,
the paper published on its religion page two articles on the occult.
At the top of the page was an account of the published diary of a
teenager's purported experiences with a satanic group. At the bottom
of the page was a news story about the occult that quoted both ex-occultist
Lee Nystrom and Conlith Christensen, who was manager of Gnostica Bookstore
and a member of a witchcraft religion called the Church of Wicca.
The articles were accompanied by a picture of Christensen and artwork
depicting demons torturing a man.
When Burtrand complained to the paper
about the articles and layout, he was informed he could write a letter
to the editor, subject to normal editing procedures. He declined because
he felt the letter might not run as he wrote it and would not have
the same effect as an apology. Burtrand complained that the paper
should have attempted to verify questionable information in the diary,
and that the account of it should have been clearly labeled as a book
review. The news story, Burtrand said, contained derogatory statements
Nystrom made about the occult that should have been substantiated.
The news story also misquoted Christensen and was unfair because it
gave her age and marital status but not Nystrom's (Christensen is
divorced). Regarding the page as a whole, Burtrand alleges that the
artwork and articles perpetuated negative and erroneous stereotypes
about the occult that were strengthened by their placement on the
religion page. He said that witchcraft, and specifically Wicca, were
incorrectly linked to satanism.
Determination of the Council:
A letter might have helped Burtrand to achieve his goal of educating
the public about the occult. Newspapers do, however, have the right
to edit letters for such things as length and style.
Regarding Burtrand's objections to
the articles, the paper should not have been expected to investigate
every fact disputed by Burtrand. Readers are better served if a newspaper
devotes its limited time and resources to its regular news columns.
There is no evidence to support the contention that Christensen was
misquoted, and hence that matter is indeterminable.
With respect to the page taken as
a whole, the articles and accompanying illustrations do not seem to
perpetuate negative and erroneous stereotypes about the occult, nor
does their placement on the religion page unfairly strengthen such
alleged impressions. The first article was clearly an account of a
book describing satanic activities, and the artwork clearly illustrates
the activities described in the book, and not all occult activities.
The news story balances derogatory statements about the occult by
Nystrom with several quotes from Christensen. To this extent, the
complaint against the paper is not upheld.
However, the placement of the photograph
of Christensen was unfair and misleading. The layout appears to associate
her with the book account and the satanic activities described in
it. The casual reader may not read through to the end of the news
story, where Christensen is quoted as dissociating herself from the
satanic activities depicted and described on the rest of the page.
Also, the paper should not have characterized only Christensen by
age and marital status, and it is encouraging that the paper acknowledges
this.
To this extent, the complaint against
the paper is upheld
Dissenting Opinion: Fairbanks,
Staples, Craig, Hetland, Spielman The majority is correct in rejecting
the allegations about the factual content of the articles. However,
the articles and accompanying artwork and photographs are sensationalized
and do perpetuate negative and erroneous stereotypes about the occult,
apparently due to a lack of understanding of the occult and a failure
to ascertain the facts about different parts of the occult before
publishing the articles. The total effect of the page is to associate
occult activities in general, and witchcraft in particular, with satanism.
The words "occult," "witchcraft," "Satan"
and "demonic" are used interchangeably throughout the page,
without regard to the fact that "occult" is a very broad
term that encompasses many religions and cults. Christensen's quoted
statements dissociating herself from satanism do not adequately balance
the confusing use of these terms interchangeably on the page.
March 26, 1979
Read
Determination 36/37
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