Quand l'État veut contrôler l'information en plus des barrages

Photo: Bob Geary

En Caroline du Nord, un barrage sur la rivière Yadkin propriété d'Alcoa est au centre de bien des controverses depuis des années. Les sénateurs de l'état veulent que l'état prenne en main cette structure, et en plus, veulent contrôler la diffusion d'un documentaire sur la télévision publique également.

Le sénateur Républicain Fletcher Hartsell et le comité judiciaire du sénat a demandé au poste UNC-TV de remettre tout matériel et documents qui ont rapport à la série télévisée qui documente les installations hydro-électriques sur la Yadkin River. Plutôt que de tenir son bout, les autorités du poste ont décidé de se plier à la demande, bien que la série a commencé à être diffusée mardi soir.

Le sénateur explique que le Sénat doit examiner le matériel vidéo avant la diffusion à cause de la législation en cours pour faire du barrage une propriété publique si les autorités fédérales refusent de renouveler le permis d'Alcoa. On pense que c'est plutôt une façon de garder le sujet sur la sellette après la visite d'Erin Brockovich répondant à l'invitation du Yadkin Riverkeeper?

Le coup de publicité marchera sûrement, mais à quel prix? La télévision publique ne devrait pas être considérée comme un outil d'enquête au service de l'état: les sénateurs devraient savoir que s'ingérer dans les médias publiques compromet l'indépendance de la presse et soulève des questions sur leurs engagements aux libertés du First Amendment. Ceci est un dangereux précédent qui salit l'indépendance journalistique. Les sénateurs ont déjà démontré qu'ils sont prêt à mettre la main basse sur les barrages de la Yadkin et semblent vouloir contrôler les diffuseurs publics de la Caroline du Nord également.
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"Editorial: Muddying the waters

In addition to believing the state has a right to take over Alcoa’s dams on the Yadkin, state senators also apparently believe they have a right to exert control over the press, too — or at least the publicly funded portion of it.

That’s one conclusion you could draw from the short-lived drama that played out after Sen. Fletcher Hartsell (R-Cabarrus) and the Senate judiciary committee demanded that UNC-TV turn over materials related to a series of programs on Alcoa’s hydroelectric operations on the Yadkin River. Rather than fight the state hand that feeds it, UNC-TV officials decided to comply, turning over video footage and other materials related to the series that began airing Tuesday evening.

Hartsell contended the Senate had an imperative need to examine the material before the broadcast because of pending Senate legislation that would create a public trust to take over Alcoa Power Generating’s dams on the Yadkin, if federal officials reject its pending application for renewal of its license. But it’s not clear where the urgency lies. While time is running out for this year’s legislative session, the public trust legislation is a long shot, even if it makes it past the full Senate. It was soundly rejected last year by the state House. You have to wonder: Did Hartsell and other legislators really think there was some previously undisclosed bombshell lurking amid UNC-TV’s reporting — or is this simply another way to keep the issue in the public eye, following on the heels of celebrity environmentalist Erin Brockovich’s recent visit to North Carolina at the invitation of the Yadkin riverkeeper?

If generating more publicity was the intent, then the strategem succeeded. The series on Alcoa will no doubt enjoy a spike in viewership, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given the importance of the Yadkin River to the state and region and legitimate issues involving contamination, water rights and Alcoa’s management history. But it also comes at a cost. While UNC-TV may technically be a ”state entity,“ as news accounts have described it, it shouldn’t be treated as the private investigative arm of the state Senate. Surely the senators recognize how this type of meddling in public media compromises independent reporting, as well as raising questions about their commitment to First Amendment freedoms.

What if UNC-TV were doing an expose on ethical lapses in the legislature? Would senators feel entitled to a sneak preview of the contents? That’s the problem with setting precedents. Once you take a step down one road, it sets the stage for going a step farther ... and a step farther. This was a damaging step for UNC-TV’s editorial independence. Along with seeking control of the Yadkin dams, these senators have illustrated their willingness to assert control over North Carolina’s public broadcasters."

Opinion editorial published in the Salisbury Post here: http://www.salisburypost.com/Opinion/070710-edit-unctvalcoa-qcd