Re: Metal recycling in the news

[Keith Welch <welch@jlab.org>]

I saw the piece.  I agree, they didn't seem to have a point except
to give NIRS an opportunity to provide a free "public service" announcement. 
I couldn't resist.  I had to vent my frustration.  Sent the following
to ABC.
---------
Congratulations, your story "Recycling Danger?" is keeping the streak
of slanted reporting by "news" agencies alive.  ABC news (and all
the rest, as far as I can see) should correctly be labeled an "Anti-nuclear
activist group", since that is the entire extent of what you report. The
only difference between the news-writing companies and groups like Nuclear
Information and Resource Service is your agenda (in your case, it's obviously
profit).  No doubt, fear is one of the best ways to sell "news". 
If that story represents what you believe to be "balanced" reporting, then
you all need to go back to Journalism 101.  Once again, the spin-master
anti-nukes (NIRS), have managed to secure free air time to push their agenda
with masterful sound bites (assisted by ABC's video clips), with the only
"rebuttal" being a snippet of an out-of-context statement by a DOE rep
who's only going to say "this is perfectly safe", presented such that our
only reaction can be "he's a lying S.O.B. government patsy".  When
are you guys going to give up?  You've won, hands down - nuclear power
is dead, the DOE will probably be dismantled, and we're all going to die
choking on the soot from coal and oil burning power plants.  Hope
you're happy!

--------
In my haste I forgot to add that the taxpayers will be left holding the bag for the cost of all the paranoia.
 

My opinions only.
Keith Welch
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