MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota News Council will convene Thursday, June 19 in St. Paul to consider complaints against two broadcast news outlets in Minnesota.
In December 2007 Tony Sheda of Wrenshall, Minn. filed a complaint alleging the KBJR-TV broadcast, "The War At Home" (Nov. 19, 2007) sensationalized the death of his son Adam, a staff sergeant recently returned from Iraq. He felt that it was unfair of the station to feature his son in a story on post-traumatic stress disorder among war veterans.
KBJR believes its story was fair and accurate, stating that public documents as well as Adam Sheda's public Myspace profile were used as sources in reporting the story. The station extended its condolences to the family, but stands by its Nov. 19 story.
The second complaint from Richfield City Manager Steven Devich says excerpts from a letter he wrote to a Richfield resident were used out of context in a KSTP-TV report titled "Richfield residents frustrated over noise" (April 20, 2008). He complains that the station should have called him for comment and more clarification on the issue.
KSTP says that they represented the city's perspective by interviewing the mayor and offering Devich a follow-up story. Devich feels, however, that without his input in the initial report, "the story was not accurate with respect to what the city was attempting to accomplish."
ADVERTISEMENT
At the hearing, the Minnesota News Council will examine both complaints and the response of each news station; the Council will then issue a determination. The event is free and open to the public; media coverage is invited.
About the Minnesota News Council
The Minnesota News Council ( www.news-council.org ) was created in 1970 to promote fair, vigorous and trusted journalism. It presents complaints about accuracy and fairness to news organizations, holds public hearings to consider unresolved complaints and conducts public forums aimed at fostering trust in journalism. The News Council has 24 voting members, half of them journalists, half laypersons. The hearing process is voluntary; the Council's determinations are advisory and carry no sanctions.
