Determination 96: Pam Coyle v. Austin Daily Herald
During this hearing, Coyle brought up complaints on two issues. First, that an item under the headline “Police Report” inaccurately stated that her job status had been discussed at a city/county Law Enforcement Commission meeting, when it had not. Second, that the paper treated her unfairly by running 10 items in its editorial-page feature “Anonymous Comments,” criticizing her and calling for her dismissal from her job.
Determination 51: Bartlett for Sheriff Campaign v. Austin Daily Herald
Jim Bartlett, a deputy sheriff of Mower County, ran for the office of county sheriff against the incumbent, and following a heated election campaign, his campaign committee filed a multiple complaint against the paper, implying that it had contributed to Bartlett’s defeat in the general election. The committee complained that the paper:
- Failed to adequately cover several incidents concerning incumbent Sheriff Wayne Goodnature’s record in office which reflected negatively on the incumbent’s competence;
- Unfairly demanded changes in several of the committee’s political advertisements and refused to publish one ad;
- Unfairly denied Bartlett supporters access to the newspaper’s letters-to-the-editor column; and
- Failed to give proper coverage to the election results.