Speaking of Conflicts
Jan 27th, 2006 at 10:39 am by Susie
Oh, look. A Fox News columnist was on the take from Big Tobaccy. The New Republic, via Raw Story:
On March 9, 2001, he wrote a column for the website headlined “secondhand smokescreen.” The piece attacked a study by researcher Stephen Hecht, who found that women living with smokers had higher levels of chemicals associated with risk of lung cancer. “If spin were science, Hecht would win a Nobel Prize,” Milloy wrote. For good measure, he heaped scorn on a 1993 Environmental Protection Agency report that also linked health risks and secondhand smoke. Later that spring, he authored another smoking-related piece for FoxNews.com.
…You might chalk it up to Milloy’s contrarian nature. Or to his libertarian tendencies. Except, all the while, he was on the payroll of big tobacco. According to Lisa Gonzalez, manager of external communications for Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris, Milloy was under contract there through the end of last year. “In 2000 and 2001, some of the work he did was to monitor studies, and then we would distribute this information within to our different companies,” Gonzalez said. Although she couldn’t comment on fees paid to Milloy, a January 2001 Philip Morris budget report lists Milloy as a consultant and shows that he was budgeted for $92,500 in fees and expenses in both 2000 and 2001. Asked about Milloy’s tobacco ties, Paul Schur, director of media relations for Fox News, said, “Fox News is unaware of Milloy’s connection with Philip Morris. Any affiliation he had should have been disclosed.” Milloy could not be reached for comment.
I was hoping the columnist was going to turn out to be Shepard Smith. Alas, Shep is just a newsreader. The desperate queen Shepard Smith needs a reality check and a good old-fashioned bitch-slapping and I’m just the man to get the job done. Lemme at ‘im, don’t hold me back now…
OT — NPR this morning said that Kerry & Ted Kennedy are trying to round up support for a filibuster. Any news/insight/dirt on that?
VM, from what I’m hearing, it ain’t gonna happen.
I smoke, my GF smokes.
We enjoy it.
We are respectful of those that don’t.
But, once again, you’ve proved that smoking is bad.
Woopie doo!
Feel good now?
.
People need to object every time somebody that appears to be any sort of journalist is found to be accepting compensation that compromises their integrity and objectivity. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a fair reporter or a balanced pundit. Show me a case where this doesn’t demonstrate willful manipulation of public opinion? If a news and information person takes the money, they have to disclose it up front any time there may even be just an appearance of conflict of interest.
Duh, huh?!
Calls and letters might go to many news organizations, encouraging them to cover the story and/or mend their ways. A good place to begin might be:
comments@foxnews.com
You might simply state to them that it’s wrong and makes you trust their whole organization less.
(I smoke, too — have for thirty years. Wish I didn’t. I’ve probably shaved one or two dozen years off my life. One of my best smoking buddies now has emphasema.)