Council finds WCCO-TV unfair in story on mold in schools

June 21, 2002

Statewire

Published Jun 20, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota New Council, in a 15-0 vote Thursday,

found WCCO-TV of Minneapolis unfairly portrayed an architect who designed

several public schools that developed mold in walls.

In a report that aired May 1, 2001, the station identified Walijarvi

as the architect of schools in rural areas that have had mold problems.

Walijarvi' s son , an architect who lives in Maine, complained to the

news council that the report made his father, who died in 1980, out to be a

" mold villain " even though it pointed out the design he used for the

schools was common.

" To blame my father, other architects, or other design professionals for

problems 1/8 of indoor air quality 3/8 that are only now being talked about

or understood would be like criticizing President Lincoln for being computer

illiterate, " Walijarvi wrote in his complaint.

Several News Council members said WCCO appeared to have been looking for a

villain to humanize and sensationalize its story, and that the choice of a

deceased person who couldn' t sue for slander appeared to be convenient.

" Context is what' s missing, " said Vicki Gowler, executive editor of the

St. Pioneer Press and one of seven journalists on the panel that heard

the complaint. " Discovery that the same architect had designed several

affected schools drove the coverage. Regardless of whether the person named

was alive or dead, what they owed us was better context. "

Representatives of WCCO-TV declined to appear at the hearing. However, a

letter from the station' s former news director, Ted Canova, said the

station stood by the report and its portrayal of the architect.

Council members said they were disappointed the station didn' t appear to

discuss the complaint. " For the Minnesota News Council to assume that WCCO

was looking for a villain, because we could not ask the station questions,

is not a bright spot for journalists in general, " Gowler said.

The station' s new news director, Reitan, told the council she prefers

to handle complaints in private.

The Minnesota News Council is an independent watchdog group that holds

public hearings on complaints about news coverage. It is comprised of people

who work for news organizations and people who work in other professions.

Its findings carry no sanctions and people who bring complaints to the

council waive their right to sue.

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