27 February 2001
SHAPES THE NEWS IN THE UNITED STATES
Media watchdog Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) has released its first annual review of "the year's most egregious examples of owner, advertiser and government influence on the news" in the United States. The report, entitled "Fear & Favor 2000: How Power Shapes the News", aims to "support journalists who are struggling to seek truth and report it, empower the public to demand accountability from the media and inspire all of us to fight back when the powerful try to restrict the free flow of information."
The U.S. media are going to increasing lengths to please big advertisers by watering down or killing stories, promoting sponsor-friendly coverage, and making promotional deals that blur the line between journalism and marketing, says FAIR. In one case that FAIR documents, a "Boston Herald" consumer columnist received an indefinite suspension and a demotion after his critical reporting on the merger between Fleet Bank and BankBoston, which is a major advertiser and lender to the paper. In other cases, FAIR reports that stories have been altered by behind-the-scenes deals with powerful industries. For example, United Airlines and US Airways reached a deal to give the "Washington Post", the "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal" the scoop on the airlines' upcoming merger, on the condition that the papers did not contact any "critics" for comment.
Pressures from media owners are also analysed by FAIR, which says the former's interests "have a way of making themselves known to editors and producers, who are encouraged to shape coverage to suit." One concern is that media outlets are increasingly used to promote other products controlled by the same owner. This practice is often referred to as "synergy", but FAIR calls it "an example of undue influence." In a different type of top-down interference, the publisher of the "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" ordered all photos and prominent mentions of Al Gore removed from the front page in the final days of the presidential campaign over the objections of the managing editor. The paper's pre-election Sunday edition featured George W. Bush in every front-page campaign-related headline and photo.
FAIR says that American journalists also continue to face pressures from government and other public officials who seek to shape the news. In one case, FAIR reports that a local television anchor in Buffalo, New York was suspended after he refused to edit a news story to favour the local police commissioner. In Los Angeles, a TV station reached a deal with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) over its "exclusive" video footage of last year's Democratic National Convention, which attracted thousands of protesters. A media helicopter was to be permitted to enter the "no-fly-zone" over the convention site, but police were to maintain control over what would be videotaped. The LAPD eventually withdrew the offer, after receiving strong criticism from media critics and other observers.
The full report is available at http://www.fair.org/ff2000.html.
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