Rep. Doty complained to the News Council after the paper published a March 2 story, “Local GOP objects to Doty’s support of gas tax hike.” The Record’s editor and general manager, Tom West, approached Doty for comment “on the gas tax,” but did not tell him it would be used in a news story about Doty’s support of a transportation bill. In an effort to balance a press release issued by Republican leaders in the district, West rewrote the press release to include comments from Doty and the county engineer, as well as additional background information.

Doty complained he was misled by the paper because he did not know the context in which his comments would be used. West argued that he did not have a responsibility to tell Doty what the story was about in advance. Doty “gave good answers to the questions I asked him,” said West, “and they were reported accurately in the printed article.”

The News Council affirmed the paper’s position, voting 12-4 that the paper’s actions were appropriate.

“[If I were in West's position], in hindsight I would have told Rep. Doty that I was calling for a response to the Republican press release,” said media member Jim Pumarlo. “Having said that, I’m fine with the story, I think it’s balanced. Readers were clearly aware that Republicans were leveling this charge and Doty was responding to that.”

News Council members agreed that the information added by West was accurate, and added to the overall balance of the story. “Rep. Doty came off as the real good guy of that story, he seemed well informed and statesman-like,” said public member Heather Harden.

Media member Jeremy Iggers disagreed. “[The press release] was a partisan attack on Doty,” said Iggers. “How could you not tell him what he was responding to?”

Doty also complained that an editorial written by West was inaccurate to commend both Doty and a Republican colleague for work on a zoo funding bill. Doty said he was “on his own” this past year in seeking funding for the Pine Grove Zoo in Little Falls, Minn. and felt it was unfair to include Sen. Paul Koering (R-Fort Ripley) in the praise. West said that before publishing the editorial, he called Koering, who acknowledged less involvement in the bill, but said he helped get it through the state Senate.

The News Council denied Doty’s complaint, and voted 12-4 that the paper had an appropriate basis for giving both politicians praise in the editorial.

“In order to uphold this complaint,” said media member Dave Beal, “you would have to prove that Sen. Koering played absolutely no role in the passage of this bill, and I don’t think there is evidence to prove that.”

A majority of Council members agreed. “I am satisfied Mr. West fulfilled his responsibility to check the facts in his editorial when he called the senator,” said public member Harden. “After the editorial appeared, those who disagreed with Mr. West’s editorial wrote great letters to the editor explaining their viewpoints.”

The following news outlets ran the above news release or cited an Associated Press summary: Morrison County Record, Hometownsource.com (ECM Publishers), KSTP-TV, WKBT-TV, WCCO-TV, and Grand Forks Herald.

12:15 p.m., August 21, 2008

Hamline United Methodist Church – St. Paul, Minn.

Minneapolis (Aug. 20, 2008) – The Minnesota News Council will convene Thursday, August 21 to consider two complaints against the Morrison Country Record by state legislator Al Doty (DFL-Royalton).

Rep. Doty complained to the News Council in April about the Morrison County Record, a weekly newspaper in Little Falls, Minn. Rep. Doty said the paper approached him for a general quote “on the gas tax,” but did not tell him it would be used in a news feature that critiqued his support of a transportation bill (“Local GOP objects to Doty’s support of gas tax hike,” 3/2/08). Record editor and publisher Tom West disagrees that Doty should have told what the story was about in advance. Doty “gave good answers to the questions I asked him,” West wrote, “and they were reported accurately in the printed article.”

Rep. Doty also complains that an editorial written by West was inaccurate to commend both Doty and a Republican colleague for work on a zoo funding bill (“Zoo funding worthy of praise,” 6/1/08). Doty says he was “on his own” this past year in seeking federal money for the Pine Grove Zoo in Little Falls, Minn. and feels it was unfair to include Senator Paul Koering (R-Fort Ripley) in the praise. West has said that before publishing the editorial, he called Sen. Koering, who acknowledged less involvement in the bill, but said he helped get it through the state Senate.

At the hearing, the Minnesota News Council will hear presentations by Rep. Doty and the Morrison County Record; the Council will then issue a determination. The event is free and open to the public and media coverage is invited. Documents relating to the case are available upon request.

About the Minnesota News Council

The Minnesota News Council 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.

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