-Caveat Lector-
Time for you BayArea-ites ("Areans" has an off-sound) (and others) to
muster yourselves and stand up for the fundamentals of Freedom,
Truth, Justice and the American Way (i.e., protest in accordance with
the best traditions that made San Fran and Berkeley reknowned!!!).
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: "Michael Albert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: ZNet Commentary June 19 Norman Solomon
Date sent: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 23:07:20 +0100
Here is today's ZNet Commentary Delivery from Norman Solomon. The
attached
file is the same material in nicely formatted html so that you can
read it
in your browser if you wish.
To pass this comment along to friends, relatives, etc. please note
that
the Commentaries are a premium sent to monthly donors to Z/ZNet and
that
to learn more about the project folks can consult ZNet
(http://www.zmag.org) and specifically the Commentary Page
(http://www.zmag.org/Commentaries/donorform.htm).
Here then is today's ZNet Commentary...
------------------------------------------
SHADOW FALLING ON BEACON OF INDEPENDENT RADIO
By Norman Solomon
This summer begins with a large shadow hanging over one of the nation's
pioneering radio stations. Half a century after listener-supported KPFA
took to the airwaves in the San Francisco area as a unique experiment in
media independence, the battle raging over its future is ominous -- yet
inspiring.
KPFA Radio provides an eclectic mix of progressive political news and
views along with an array of cultural offerings. At a time when "public
radio" routinely means a mish-mash of cautious mainstream programming, the
station is an enduring symbol of feisty community radio. That's why you
should care about KPFA's fate, even if you've never been within earshot of
its transmitter.
The owner of KPFA is the Pacifica Foundation, which also possesses
noncommercial FM stations in four other cities (Los Angeles, Houston, New
York and Washington). The foundation's governing board has gradually
consolidated power during this decade. The board fills its own vacancies.
While demanding accountability from staff and volunteers, the members of
the board are accountable to no one but themselves.
In late March, a crisis exploded at KPFA when Pacifica abruptly fired
station manager Nicole Sawaya, a leader who had unified the station's
diverse staff and volunteers. Immediately after the firing, Pacifica's
executive director Lynn Chadwick tried to prevent the station's news
department from reporting that it had occurred.
Chadwick wrote a three-sentence memo to KPFA's news staff. "I am directing
you not to air a story about Nicole's termination," the memo said. "This
is not a news story. Airing this story would be a violation of Pacifica
policy."
The memo was preposterous -- and deeply contemptuous of the most basic
precepts of journalism. The attempt by the Pacifica Foundation's executive
director to suppress the story was unprecedented. During nearly two full
decades of working at the station, Mark Mericle, co-director of the KPFA
news department, had never seen anything like it. "In 18 years," he
recalls, "no one ever ordered us not to cover anything."
KPFA's news staff faced a dilemma. The firing of the popular station
manager -- an action with far-reaching implications for listeners -- was
clearly newsworthy. But the network's most powerful executive had ordered
that the story not be covered. What to do? Play it safe or adhere to
journalistic principle?
The news staff chose principle, reporting the story in full on the
station's widely heard evening newscast. Later in the spring, coverage
continued as Pacifica's top officials reached new heights of arrogance.
Answerable only to the Pacifica board, Chadwick claimed that she was
merely trying to enforce a network policy against airing internal matters.
But management's selective enforcement of the nebulous gag rule had a
transparent purpose -- self-serving censorship.
When news spread to the airwaves of other Pacifica-owned stations,
management lashed out in retaliation. On April 4, a 30-year veteran of
Pacifica's airwaves -- journalist Larry Bensky -- spoke out while hosting
his live national program "Sunday Salon." Chadwick reacted by firing him.
The sad story could have ended there, with KPFA employees opting for
silence and the network's management tightening its grip. Instead, a
wonderful thing happened: Staffers and volunteers kept speaking up,
eloquently and emphatically, on the air.
Listeners responded with a torrent of faxes, e-mails and phone calls
backing Sawaya, Bensky, and the beleaguered staff and volunteers. Hundreds
of people repeatedly gathered outside the KPFA building in Berkeley to
rally in support. Local civic groups and labor unions passed resolutions
in solidarity.
Pacifica's next move came on June 8, in the form of a memo from Chadwick
to "all KPFA staff and volunteers." The memo warned: "Pacifica expects all
KPFA employees and volunteers to refrain from discussing or raising
Pacifica management decisions on any Pacifica or KPFA broadcast."
In effect, Chadwick threatened mass firings if people didn't hold their
tongues in front of station microphones about the most serious threat to
the station's integrity in its 50-year history. "Any future violation of
Pacifica policy and this directive may result in disciplinary action, up
to and including termination," she declared. "We do not want to take this
step, but will if necessary."
The ongoing crisis at KPFA and protracted conflicts with unionized workers
at other Pacifica-owned stations indicate that managers in Pacifica's
upper echelons are imitating the arrogance found in executive suites of
commercial networks.
Yet all is not lost. To hear brave souls behind KPFA microphones --
risking their jobs and future access to the airwaves on behalf of
free-speech principles -- it is possible to hope that integrity can
prevail in today's media world.
________________________________________________
Norman Solomon's latest book is "The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media."
A<>E<>R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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