Participants included the complainant, Morris Kurtz, accompanied by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ vice chancellor for human resources, Bill Tschida; from the St. Cloud Times, Susan Ihne, executive editor, and Dave DeLand, sports editor.
Attending the hearing were the complainants, Jeffrey Thompson, Rice County Attorney and Assistant County Attorney Noah Cashman, and the Hanlon Family: Donna (mother), Casey, Kelly, and Katie (children) and the children’s uncle, Dan Hanlon. Representing the Faribault Daily News were Lisa Schwarz, managing editor, and David Balcom, publisher.
Attending the hearing was the complainant, Minneapolis Police Lieutenant Mike Sauro. The Star Tribune declined to attend, saying it did not contest the validity of the complaint.
Attending the hearing were the complainants, Patty and Randy Brandt, dairy farmers from Marshall, MN. WCCO-TV declined to attend.
Robert Herickhoff complained that The Free Press’s coverage of the issue misled the public and unfairly impugned the reputation of school board members. He charged thatThe Free Press did not check the veracity of the allegation of voting illegality before publishing the accusation and that, given the uncertainty of the legal status of the vote, the paper should not have published a front-page story. He said that, contrary to the editorial’s assertion, the study session was well advertised, well attended and did not involve “secrecy and behind-the-scenes arm twisting.” Finally, he complained that the follow-up article again suggested that the board may have acted illegally.
Attending the hearing at the Lutheran Brotherhood Auditorium, representing Northwest Airlines were Jon Austin, Director, Corporate Communications; Ruthie McKee, Sr. Vice President, Customer Service and Line Maintenance; Dr. Clayton Foushee, Vice President, Flight Operations, and Christopher Clouser, Sr. Vice President, Administration. Representing WCCO-TV were Jacquee Petchel, Senior Producer; Don Shelby, Anchor and Reporter; John Culliton, former General Manager; and Ted Canova, News Director.
Dr. L. David Mech identified 28 specific points of contention in an article printed by the Star Tribune. The News Council grouped these points under four general complaints. Mech complained that the story: Carried a prejudicial headline that implied he was guilty of ethical violations. Further, the framing strongly implied serious wrongdoing and set a false stage for all that followed. Second, the Star Tribune used inflammatory and prejudicial language to support unsubstantiated attacks on his character and behavior. Third, the article was based upon information from sources who were anonymous, biased or lacked the authority to judge his behavior, which made it difficult for readers to judge their reliability. Finally, the piece leveled charges against him without providing substantiation or context that would have provided balance.
Complainants were two parents of special education children – Ruth Gregory, an advocate of special education families and John Guthmann, an attorney – and Robert J. Brick, executive director of ARC Minnesota. Representing the Star Tribune were Tim McGuire, editor, and staff reporters Rob Hotakainen and Mary Jane Smetanka, two of the series’ primary authors. Also attending to answer financial questions was Robert Fischer, a special education statistician in the Minnesota Department of Education.
The Department objected to two articles in the Star Tribune on July 21, 1994. The Department made three claims of unfairness: first, that the articles distorted the reality and hurt the image of the Department by focusing on one course, which the Department said was unrepresentative of its offerings. Second, that the paper committed an ethical violation by using an undercover reporter in a classroom and by mischaracterizing the story it was working on when it approached the acting department chair, Jacqueline Zita, for comment; and finally that the main article relied uncritically upon the writings of Christina Sommers, whose work has been funded by organizations the Department characterized as “right wing.”
McCauley, a county commissioner in Winona, complains that the newspaper was unfair by not asking for his comment when it printed a story in which another commissioner quoted a constituent who asked if McCauley was “on the take” or was just stupid, and a second story in which the other commissioner said he believed McCauley had cut a deal with a private company seeking a waste-disposal contract.