What's Your Beef?   

Some beleaguered news sources accept our offer of a chance to spout off about the media: Interviews by Chip Rowe, Deborah Leiderman and Kelly Heyboer.

C.J. Reynolds

Spokesperson
National Live Stock and Meat Board

I wish more media people were taking the time to comb through the studies... rather than just writing from press releases. I see a tendency toward reporting the disease du jour. For example, several years ago a study by a group of Finnish researchers linked dietary iron to heart disease, so journalists made the immediate leap to meat and told people that they should cut back.

Adam Sohn

Deputy Press Secretary

Democratic National
Committee

There is dry reporting when there are major achievements and speculative analysis when there's failure. I would like to see what [Democrats] have done to make life better for folks. Instead we get reports on how disorganized the White House is. It seems no matter what you do, reporting takes a cynical turn.

Thomas Lauria

Spokesperson

The Tobacco Institute

We are forever dogged with being at the bottom of the story in a chip shot quote that's taken out of context. I've counted as many 13 anti-smoking activists in one Los Angeles Times article, with one recycled comment of mine at the bottom.

Tanya Metaksa

Chief Lobbyist

National Rifle
Association

Most reporters think they know something about this issue but are lacking in firearms technology, criminology or constitutional law. They never ask opponents to defend their schemes, but they always ask us the "if it only saved one life" type of questions.... None of us like being called thugs.

Michele Arocha Allen

Spokesperson

National Right to Life Committee

We're being referred to more often as anti-choice instead of pro-life or anti-abortion. That's distressing, as is the fact that we often get a one-sentence disclaimer at the end of a story and then hear, "We cover both sides." You get the bias up front many times when the reporter calls and begins to debate me. I say, "Can't you just feign impartiality?" and their response is, "I don't see why I should. It's not going to affect my coverage." In fact, one of the Knight-Ridder reporters we used to deal with is now the NARAL spokesperson!

Karen Schneider

(the spokesperson in question)

NARAL

The media focus far too much on the conflict surrounding abortion.... I understand the pressure to write finely calibrated stories, because they're hearing from readers on both sides.... But sometimes the ideal of "balance" simply goes too far. Both sides are presented as extreme, and women's voices get lost.

Kaye Bennett

Spokesperson

The Upjohn Company

More and more reporters have the mindset "There's a story I want to tell and I'm going to get you to say certain things." I see an incredible readiness by the press to report charges no matter how ludicrous they are. Many times the allegations are proven false or thrown out of court or we win and we have a hard time getting any publicity about that. I joke that reporters must have a button on their word processors that automatically adds "the controversial sleeping medication from the Upjohn Co." whenever they type "Halcion."

Rex Hardesty

Spokesperson

AFL-CIO

The news media have decided that labor is irrelevant and no longer a critical beat. To the extent that hurts working America, it is a tragedy.

Richard Coorsh

Spokesperson

Health Insurance
Association of America

Journalists tend to focus on the horse-race aspect of the legislative process, but that is only natural. There have been instances where we have been ignored and advocates who want to do away with health insurers have been given unchallenged reign.

Anne Gavin

Press Secretary

Republican National
Committee

I'm paid to have good relations with the press, and I wouldn't want to have them see me bashing. [Declined further comment.]

Deborah Rephan

Spokesperson

Greenpeace

There is a lack of environmental reporting. If given the adequate amount of coverage, I believe the more environmental point of view would win out in public opinion.