Re: Re[2]: FW: News Media and How to Deceive

[Mike Grissom <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Radsafers,

I must agree with Michael (as per the below) that not
communicating is a poor option. (I say this despite my
negative experiences with Ben Bradley and Mary M. at
the Washington Post regarding not just unfair reporting
but the use of 'malicious' editing to distort what
was said during interviews both by the reporter and
the Chief editor! A colleague in the Bay Area has had
a more recent experience of a similar nature
involving the broadcast media, so this definitely
applies to media in the larger sense, not just the
printed word.)

But I believe Michael, as a member of a wire service,
must know that editorial steering is a commonplace
occurrence, and not just a matter of making something
"newsy". Rather, it is an effort to have a distinct
impact on some aspect of society that the editorial
staff/publisher/owners have strong opinions about.

The nuclear energy venue happens to be a bigger
"negative agenda" for many papers than the major
generators of greenhouse gases, as an example, at this
time.

I think we know what the relative risks are here, that
is, a very unlikely nuclear accident that may not kill
anyone versus buildup of environmental insults that
increase global warming (should such a thing exist)
that could ultimately negatively impact 100s of
millions. So risk would not appear to be a significant
factor in the strident editorial positions taken (which
still seem to be full of images of nuclear bombs and
mushroom clouds, sigh...).

S.,

MikeG.

At 10:04 AM 8/20/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I humbly submit that boycotting reporters would not
>be the most effective way to educate them and get
>your point of view across in the general media.
>
>Not to dismiss anyone's horror stories, but I know
>many reporters and editors who would not under any
>circumstance sacrifice truth and fairness to make a
>story more "newsy," and who are horrified by anyone
>who would.
>
>Heck, sometimes reporters even subscribe to lists like
>RADSAFE to try to learn something.
>
>My personal opinions only.
>
>Mike Mokrzycki
>Associated Press
>New York


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