Latest Newsletter - Washington News Council

Washington News Council
Summer/Fall 2008
2008 Gridiron West to ‘toast’ Kemper Freeman Jr.
T
he Washington News Council has
set Sunday, Nov. 9, for its tenth
annual Gridiron West Dinner – this
year, a “toast” to Bellevue developer
Kemper Freeman Jr.
“Kemper has really put Bellevue
on the map,” says John Hamer, WNC
executive director. “His impact on our
region has been huge, and there are
some great stories to tell about Kemper
and the legacy of his family as community leaders.”
Bill and Jill Ruckelshaus, last
year’s Gridiron honorees, will serve
as honorary co-chairs at Bellevue’s
Westin Hotel, Lincoln Square.
“Toasters” will include a stellar
list of family, friends and colleagues.
Mike Egan of Microsoft returns
as emcee with his trademark humor
and traditional slideshow highlighting
Freeman’s life and accomplishments.
Cabaret Productions will again present
a musical tribute and parody songs.
General and private receptions
begin at 5 pm, with dinner and program
from 6-9 pm.
“The Gridiron West has become
everyone’s favorite annual event,” says
Hamer. “Coming right after the election,
it’s a good time to put our partisan differences aside and just have fun.”
Printed invitations will be mailed in
early September, but tickets may be ordered earlier by calling 206-262-9793 or
by accessing the News Council website
at www.wanewscouncil.org.
Tables of 10 are available at several
levels (see below). Several “Bellevue
Collection” tables have already been
purchased -- by Boeing, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Peter Horvitz Foundation, and Microsoft. The number
of top-level tables is limited and they are
expected to go fast, so be sure to reserve
yours early!
øøø
INSIDE
2008 Gridiron West Dinner
w ElderHealth Northwest files RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW!
formal complaint against KOMO 4 News
Don Hewitt, John Seigenthaler and Richard Engel
winners announced
volunteer board members; elects new officers
w WNC speaker series features w Three WNC scholarship w WNC welcomes two new wWNC investigation & report wins Ancil Payne Award for The Spokesman-Review
General Reception & Dinner: $150 each
Private Reception & Dinner: $250 each
Bellevue Collection Table: $10,000
Sunday, Nov. 9
www.wanewscouncil.org
Go to
“Click & Pledge”
or call 206-262-9793
Prime Table plus Private Reception tickets for 10. Company/Logo/Name on WNC
invitations, plus on big screens, and on printed programs. Special recognition from
podium. Gifts for each of your guests to take home.
Bellevue Square Table: $5,000
Premium Table for 10 plus Private Reception tickets for 6. Company/Logo/Name on table,
big screens and in program. Recognition from podium.
Lincoln Square Table: $2,500
Table for 10, plus 4 tickets to Private Reception. Company/Name on table, big screens and
in program. Recognition from podium.
Bellevue Place Table: $1,250
Table for 10. Company/Name on big screens and in program. Recognition from podium.
Washington News Council — Promoting fairness, accuracy and balance in the news media
Page 2 Complaint Filed Against KOMO TV by ElderHealth Northwest
T
he Washington News
Council on June 11 received
a formal written complaint
against KOMO 4 News from
ElderHealth Northwest, a Seattle
non-profit organization. The
WNC accepted the complaint
for its process and delivered it to
KOMO on June 24.
The complaint charged that
on Jan. 10, 2008, KOMO aired a
story on its 11 p.m. news about
an ElderHealth patient who
had reported to police that a
male nurse repeatedly molested
her. The KOMO report stated
that police had “launched an
investigation.”
A graphic used in the report
showed the ElderHealth logo,
with the words “Patient Rape”
superimposed over the sign.
ElderHealth’s reputation and
failed to include “balancing facts
or information.”
“ElderHealth Northwest
believes that this story was
handled irresponsibly by KOMO
and it did significant damage to
the reputation of our organization that has served this community for 30 years,” the complaint
states. “We believe it ran simply
for its dramatic impact and was
not researched at all.”
The Seattle Police, the
Prosecutor’s Office, the state’s
Department of Nursing and
Adult Protective Services all
investigated but no charges were
filed against the male nurse, who
is back on the job at ElderHealth.
After conversations between
ElderHealth and KOMO, the
However, the ElderHealth
station removed the “Patient
staff and board of directors
Rape” graphic from its website
contend that the woman was
and the original video is no
mentally disturbed, and that no
longer viewable on the site.
molestation or rape ever occurred. However, the text is still online at
www.komonews.com.
They were not contacted by
KOMO before the story ran.
Under the WNC’s guideThe KOMO story said: “Calls to lines, the two parties have 30
ElderHealth went unreturned.”
days to resolve the complaint.
ElderHealth staff members say
If they are unable to do so, the
that a message was left on their
News Council may hold a public
office answering machine, but
hearing, which would be held
only after the office had closed
Sept. 20 (place TBA).
the night the story ran.
At a hearing, KOMO and
Their complaint contends
ElderHealth each would be
that the story was “factugiven the opportunity to make
ally incorrect,” “misleading”
their case before the full News
and “sensationalized.” Their
Council, whose members vote
complaint form states that
on whether or not to uphold a
the story “wrongly damaged”
complaint.
Washington News Council
The News Council has no
legal authority or power to
sanction media organizations,
and media participation is
entirely voluntary. The Council’s
mission is to help maintain public
trust and confidence in the news
media by promoting fairness,
accuracy and balance, and by
providing a forum where citizens
and journalists can engage each
other in discussing standards of
media ethics and performance.
Note: As this newsletter went to
press, ElderHealth’s staff and board
were negotiating with KOMO
executives to seek a compromise
resolution.
øøø
WNC CALENDAR
July 26 — WNC Annual Board
Retreat, Mercer Island
Community Center
Aug. 1-3 — Public Innovators
Summit, Skamania Lodge,
Stevenson, WA
Sept. 19 ­­— Journalism Day
at UW presented by the
Washington Journalism
Education Association
Sept. 20 ­­— Public hearing on
complaint (tentative)
October 29 — WNC Quarterly
Board Meeting (place TBA)
Nov. 9 — Gridiron West
Dinner, toasting Kemper
Freeman Jr. at The Westin
Hotel, Lincoln Square in
Bellevue
Page 3
Steve Raible & Don Hewitt. Photo: Pete Lindstrom
John Seigenthaler. Photo still from TVW video
Dennis Bounds & Richard Engel. Photo: Chris Carter
An Hour with Don Hewitt of “60
Minutes” moderated by Steve Raible,
Anchor, KIRO 7; Tuesday, April 1 at
The Rainier Club, Seattle; co-sponsored by Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow School of
Communication, The Seattle Times,
and KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
Creator of “60 Minutes,” Don
Hewitt is now executive producer at
CBS News. He produced and directed
the first televised presidential debates
between Nixon and Kennedy. He was a
friend and colleague of Edward R. Murrow, and received the Murrow Award
for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast
Journalism at WSU on April 3.
The First Amendment: Our Rights
at Risk? A presentation by John
Seigenthaler of the First Amendment
Center, Friday, April 18; Seattle Public
Library, Microsoft Auditorium; cosponsored by Davis Wright Tremaine,
The Seattle Times, Washington Coalition for Open Government, ACLU of
Washington, and Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
John Seigenthaler founded the
First Amendment Center in 1991 to
create national dialogue and debate
about First Amendment rights. He was
founding editorial director of USA Today and formerly editor, publisher and
CEO of The [Nashville] Tennessean.
War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq, a
discussion with Richard Engel, NBC
News Middle East Correspondent;
moderated by Dennis Bounds, Anchor,
KING5; Monday, June 9; The Seattle
Times Auditorium; co-sponsored
by The Seattle Times, KING5, and
Microsoft.
Richard Engel is the longest serving American broadcaster in Iraq
and the only television reporter to
cover the country continuously before,
during and after the 2003 U.S. invasion. He has won numerous journalism awards, including the Edward R.
Murrow Award, the Medill Medal for
Courage in Journalism, and an Emmy.
Speaker series launches WNC’s 10th year
T
WNC scholarships double, thanks to Costco
Washington State University.
he Washington News Council
awarded three $2,000 scholarships in 2008, an increase made possible by a generous $10,000 contribution to the WNC scholarship fund by
Costco Wholesale. In prior years the
WNC gave two $1,000 scholarships.
The scholarships honor the late
Seattle Times journalists Dick Larsen
and Herb Robinson, and go to
Washington students planning careers
in communication and who attend instate schools. The Robinson scholarship goes to a graduating high-school
senior, and the Larsen award goes to a
student currently attending college.
The 2008 scholarship committee
awarded two Herb Robinson scholarships because two student applicants
were equally deserving.
The Dick Larsen scholarship went
to Maren Anderson (Tacoma), a senior
at Pacific Lutheran University.
Family and friends of the 2008
Robinson scholarship winners, along
with three former WNC scholars and
News Council representatives, gathered
to celebrate on June 20 at the Pyramid
Alehouse. Larsen scholar, Maren
Anderson, was unable to attend.
Olivia Hernandez
Jennifer Draper
The Robinson winners, both
from Eastern Washington, are Olivia
Hernandez (Yakima), who will attend Seattle University; and Jennifer
Draper (Tri-Cities), who will attend
To honor WNC’s tenth year, three
former scholarship winners returned
to share the celebration: Adam Faber
(2001), Mary Andom (2003), and
Kacie McKinney (2006). All three have
pursued careers in communication.
Scholarship information is available
at www.wanewscouncil.org
Summer/Fall 2008
Page 4 T
en years ago this summer, the
Washington News Council was From the WNC
conceived.
executive director’s desk
John Hamer
A friend showed me a videotape
of a “60 Minutes” story by Mike
Wallace about the Minnesota News Council. Wallace had been
an opponent of news councils, but covering an MNC complaint
hearing changed his mind.
“Why don’t we have a news council in this state?” my friend asked.
A small group of us decided to create the Washington News
Council. The first thing we did was to assemble a Founding Board.
I called Jim Ellis, an old friend and father of so many wonderful
projects in this state, and explained what we wanted to do. He
thought for awhile, and said:
“John, it’s going to take at least 10 years, but you are going to
change the way news reporting is done in this state. Go for it!”
With Jim’s endorsement, the Washington News Council was born.
After that, our blue-ribbon, bipartisan Founding Board quickly
fell into place: Patsy Collins, Bill Gerberding, Ken Hatch,
Jeannette Hayner, Dennis Heck, Pat Herbold, Ron Judd, Mike
Lowry, Stan McNaughton, Charley Royer and Bill Ruckelshaus
all agreed to join.
They jointly invited people to our kick-off breakfast on Sept. 14,
1998, at the Washington Athletic Club. Gary Gilson, Executive
Director of the Minnesota News Council, our keynote speaker,
explained how well it had worked there for almost 30 years.
After that meeting, dozens of local citizens – from the media,
business, academia, law, non-profits and other professions – agreed
to support the Washington News Council.
To select the Council’s original members, we invited applications
and nominations from all over the state. About 200 names were
submitted, and 20 were selected – half from the news media, half
from other professions.
Among the Council’s first members was Bill Gates Sr., who faxed
us his application. He stayed on the board for 4 years, and continues to help advise us regularly.
Bill has been a strong and loyal supporter of the WNC ever since
(see next page), and we can’t thank him enough. He arranged a
Washington News Council
start-up grant that got us through our
early years.
As the WNC celebrates its 10th
anniversary, here are a few testimonials from people we have helped:
“If not for the Washington News Council, there would be no one to
call into account bad news reporting.”
– Bernie Friedman, whose complaint against The Olympian was
upheld in 2000.
“Let me thank you for your invaluable service. I am profoundly
grateful.”
– Glenn Ledbetter, whose complaint against The Seattle Times
was resolved in 2000.
“We applaud the Council’s admirable – but challenging – goal as a
fair-minded mediator of f inding a ‘middle ground’ that will satisfy
both sides.”
– Ralph Nichols of the Highline Times, in a column that resolved
a complaint by the Des Moines Chamber of Commerce in 2002.
“The Council provides an important and constructive service to all
Washingtonians by encouraging greater accuracy and relevance in
news media reporting.”
– Blair Thompson, Washington Dairy Products Commission,
whose complaint against KIRO-TV was upheld in 2003.
“We have complete resolution….Without the Washington News
Council, this resolution would not have happened.”
– Joseph de Beauchamp, whose complaint against the Puget
Sound Business Journal was resolved in 2004.
“You’re doing a great service to the community by taking action that
will improve the practice of journalism.”
– Sue Rahr, King County Sheriff, whose complaint against the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer was upheld in 2006.
We are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished in the past
10 years (see p.7). With your help, we will continue providing this
invaluable service for many years to come.
Page 5
I’d like to encourage you to consider supporting the Washington
News Council in its 10th Anniversary Year.
The News Council’s mission is to ensure that we get fair,
accurate, thorough and balanced information about everything that
goes on in our community and our society. And that’s really important, because the news media are so vital to our democracy.
From the desk of
William H. Gates, Sr.
I first learned about the Council from my friend Patsy Bullitt Collins. She encouraged me to get involved, and I became
one of the original Board Members of the News Council in 1998.
I’m now a Board Member Emeritus, and continue to help them because I believe their mission is so important.
The Council’s recent accomplishments are impressive:
u It has reviewed almost two dozen formal complaints from people who felt they had been damaged by news stories.
For example, the Council recently handled a complaint against the Seattle Post-Intelligencer from the King County
Sheriff ’s Office. I strongly encourage you read to about it on the News Council’s website.
u The News Council was asked by The Spokane Spokesman-Review to conduct an independent outside analysis of
that newspaper’s coverage of the controversial River Park Square development. The Council produced a first-rate report that
has garnered national praise.
u The Council has held several public forums and panels to address various ethical issues involving the news media.
And this year it began a Media Speaker Series that has included such figures as Don Hewitt of “60 Minutes,” John
Seigenthaler of the First Amendment Center, and Richard Engel of NBC News.
u The Council continues to work with young journalism students statewide, doing mock hearings, sponsoring internships, and awarding two scholarships every year, named after Dick Larsen and Herb Robinson, former Seattle Times editors.
u The Council has held its Gridiron West Dinners every November for nine years now. These are truly bipartisan
events aimed at bringing people together despite our political differences -- and that’s a very good thing. A few years ago,
Mimi and I were “toasted” and it was lots of fun. This year, Kemper Freeman Jr. will be “toasted” at The Westin Hotel in
Bellevue on November 9.
For such a small organization with a limited budget, the Council has a remarkable track record. But keeping an organization like this going is always a challenge.
I urge you to seriously consider supporting the Council during this 10th Anniversary year. You can become a member
for as little as $50 a year, or join at the $100, $250 or $500 level.
If you’d like to help more, you can join “100 Friends of the WNC” and pledge $1,000 a year for three consecutive years.
That carries a special bonus: two tickets each year to the annual Gridiron West Dinner. You may join online, call the WNC
office with a credit card number, or just put a check in the mail.
The News Council has another option for those of you who really want to be involved: It has formed a new group called
“Best Friends of the WNC,” whose members pledge $10,000 a year for three years. In return, Best Friends get a front-row
table for 10 at the next three Gridiron West Dinners.
The News Council is doing very important work. I hope you’ll be generous.
Sincerely yours,
Summer/Fall 2008
Page 6 WNC’S Report Wins Ancil Payne Award for Spokesman-Review
T
he Washington News
Council’s unprecedented study
for The [Spokane] SpokesmanReview won a 2008 Ancil Payne
Award for Ethics in Journalism
from the University of Oregon’s
School of Journalism and
Communication.
The award was presented at
a ceremony in Eugene on May 8,
2008, by Tim Gleason, Dean of the
School. Gary Graham, Managing
Editor of The Spokesman-Review,
accepted the award on behalf of the
newspaper.
age of a project some described as
“a long-running civic nightmare.”
The report’s principal investigator/writer was Bill Richards and
The downtown project’s devel- the project leader was Cliff Rowe.
A team of WNC board members
opers were the Cowles family,
acted as the project’s editors and
which also owns the newspaper.
The paper’s publisher and president produced its findings and recomhad major financial interests in the mendations, many of which
were accepted by Smith and The
project. Critics charged that this
Spokesman-Review.
conflict-of-interest affected the
paper’s news stories and editorial
positions. The WNC’s report cited
“a cloud of public distrust that the
REPORTING YOURSELF
paper could not seem to shake.”
ON
An independent analysis of
In announcing the award, the
Payne judges said: “A newspaper
WNC Executive Director John publisher is a major institution in
Washington News Council
Hamer attended the ceremony.
a community – sometimes having
Spokesman-Review Editor Steve
other interests. To open up the
Smith, who asked the News Council paper to an objective analysis
to do the report in early 2006, was
of that coverage and to publish
in Europe and unable to attend.
without fear or favor what they
found is courageous; the level of
“Reporting on Yourself: An
To order a printed copy of
independence and control they
Independent Analysis of The
the report ($10), go to www.
were willing to give up is signifiSpokesman-Review’s Coverage of
wanewscouncil.org and open the
cant; and having an organization
and Role in the River Park Square
such as a news council investigate is “Click&Pledge” page.
Redevelopment Project,” reviewed
unprecedented.”
10 years of the newspaper’s coverThe Spokesman-Review’s
coverage of and role in the
Spokane River Park Square
redevelopment project
prepared and published by the
Bill Richards, investigator / writer
Clifford G. Rowe, project leader
requested by
The Spokesman-Review
Steven A. Smith, editor
Washington News Council
PO Box 3672 Seattle WA 98124
www.wanewscouncil.org 206.262.9793
(Copyright, May 2007, Washington News Council)
Thank
you to our ‘100 Friends of the Washington News Council’
The Washington News Council has formed “100 Friends of the WNC.” Members pledge to donate $1,000 a year for three consecutive years to help
support the News Council’s mission. Friends also receive two tickets each year to our annual Gridiron West Dinners. Members so far include:
Minoru & Yoko Arakawa
Tom Barwick
Richard & Edwina Baxter
James Bianco
Boeing*
Susan Bond
Herbert Bridge
Dr. Daniel Brzusek
Suzie Burke
Suzy Burke
Doris Cassan
Pedro & Laura Celis
Tom Cock Jr.
Costco*
Jane & David Davis
Tom Downey
Patty Edwards
Jim Ellis
Sharon Gantz
Bill Gates Sr.
Gates Foundation*
Margo & Andy Gordon
Martha Kongsgaard & Peter Goldman
Austin & Ina Hamer
Ken & Cathi Hatch
Tom & Peggy Hayward
Richard & Elizabeth Hedreen
Bob & Pat Herbold
John Holliday
Peter Horvitz*
Sandeep Kaushik & Elizabeth Goodwin
Deanie Larsen
Grant & Marci Larsen
Betsy Lieberman & Richard Groomer
Washington News Council
Bruce & Jolene McCaw
Microsoft*
Martin Neeb
Chuck Nordhoff
Chuck & Cathy Novak
Mary Odermat
Victor Odermat
Mary Pigott
Gregory Porter
Joe & Jaynie Putnam
Harry & Ann Pryde
Steve & Paula Reynolds
Sarah & John Rindlaub
Skip Rowley
Bill & Jill Ruckelshaus
Sandy Schoolfield & Jon Kechejian
Alan & Nancy Sclater
Karen Seinfeld
Helen Silha
Stephen Silha
Gary Smith & Karen Ekblad
Senator Sid Snyder
John Stanton & Theresa Gillespie
Doug & Janet True
Craig & Joan Watjen
Rick White
* $10,000 donor
Join this distinguished group, or
you can join at any level, by calling
the WNC office at 206.262.9793 or go
to the “Click & Pledge” link at
www.wanewscouncil.org.
WNC News Clips
Two join volunteer board
T
he Washington News Council
has added two new members to
its board. Pedro Celis and Scott Vokey
will each serve a minimum of three
years on the WNC Board of Directors.
Pedro Celis,
Public Member
Dr. Celis is currently a Distinguished
Engineer at Microsoft Corporation
where he servers as
CTO of the SQL Server group.
He was appointed by President
Bush and served as a member of the
President’s Information Technology
Advisory Committee (PITAC) from
2003 to 2005. He is the holder of over
15 U.S. Patents.
He is a board member of Families
Northwest, and serves on the Board
of Trustees of his alma mater, the
Monterray Institute of Technology.
Pedro is the founder, and serves on
the board of the Washington Republican National Hispanic Assembly. He
served as its Chairman for four years.
Scott Vokey,
Public Member
Scott Vokey is
general counsel of
Weyerhaeuser Real
Estate Company,
the 15th largest
homebuilder in the United States
which also is involved in residential
real estate development and finance.
Previously he held legal positions
in hotel development, hotel management and investment management
companies and was a partner at
Preston Gates & Ellis, now known
as K & L Gates. He is a graduate of
the University of Houston College
of Law, Connecticut College and
Northfield Mt. Hermon School.
WNC elects new officers
T
he WNC board elected officers
at the April 30 board meeting,
hosted by Fisher Seattle Broadcasting
and KOMO-TV. General Manager
Jim Clayton welcomed the group to
the station’s boardroom.
New WNC officers are president
Suzie Burke (Fremont Dock Co.);
vice president Martin Neeb (retired
general manager, KPLU Radio);
secretary Peter Horvitz (Horvitz
Newspapers); and treasurer Michael
Campbell (Northwest Marine Trade
Association).
The Washington News Council
elects officers annually.
To learn more about serving on the
News Council board, call the WNC office
at 206-262-9793.
WNC & WJEA collaborate
T
he Washington Journalism
Education Association (WJEA)
is now sharing space with the
Washington News Council at their
office above the Pyramid Alehouse,
across from Safeco Field in Seattle.
Kathy Schrier, WJEA immediate past
president, now executive director, has
been part-time executive assistant at
the WNC since 2006.
“Kathy has brought great skills
and professionalism to the News
Council,” said John Hamer, WNC
executive director, “and her leadership
of WJEA has added a new dimension
to our educational programs.”
WJEA is a 501c(3) non-profit
organization that provides support,
training and resources for journalism
teachers in Washington state.
Page 7
WNC’S First Decade
by the numbers
23
Formal written
complaints filed
against media
organizations by individuals
or organizations
14
9
4
Complaints dismissed;
failed to meet WNC
guidelines
Complaints accepted
for WNC review
process
Public hearings held
by News Council board
to consider complaints
3
Complaints upheld
at hearings by News
Council board (one not
upheld)
4
20
28
Complaints resolved
with WNC help (one
pending)
Public forums, panels
and speakers on
media-related issues
Student mock news
council hearings at
college and high-school
journalism classes statewide
18
Dick Larsen and Herb
Robinson Scholarships
awarded to highschool and college students
statewide
10
Gridiron West
Dinners to “toast”
prominent journalists,
politicians and civic leaders
Summer/Fall 2008
NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE WA
PERMIT NO. 1595
Mailing address:
PO Box 3672
Seattle WA 98124-3672
WNC BOARD MEMBERS
Karen Seinfeld, Chair
MEDIA MEMBERS
Mike Flynn
Peter Horvitz, Secretary
John Knowlton
Erik Lacitis
Johathan Lawson
Martin Neeb, Vice President
Chuck Rehberg
David Schaefer, Past President
Mark Wright
PUBLIC MEMBERS
Everett Billingslea
Steve Boyer
Suzie Burke, President
Michael Campbell, Treasurer
Pedro Celis
Scott Forslund
Dr. Eddie Reed
Sandy Schoolfield
Christopher Villiers
Scott Vokey
SAVE THE DATE!
2008 Gridiron West Dinner
Q
Sunday, November 9 Q
Private & General Receptions, 5 pm; Dinner & Program, 6-9 pm
WEBSITE
www.wanewscouncil.org
PHONE
206-262-9793
FAX
206-464-7902
E-MAIL
info@wanewscouncil.org
STAFF
John Hamer, Executive Director
Kathy Schrier, Executive Assistant
Washington News Council
A very special evening and “toast” honoring
Bellevue’s own
Q Kemper Freeman Jr. Q
Co-chairs: Bill and Jill Ruckelshaus
Westin Hotel, Lincoln Square, Bellevue WA
Reserve seats or tables at www.wanewscouncil.org
Contact: info@wanewscouncil.org or 206.262.9793