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WASHINGTON NEWS COUNCIL’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, 1999-2007

COMPLAINTS

Received 22 formal complaints against media organizations, with following results:

  1. King County Sheriff Sue Rahr’s Office vs. Seattle Post-Intelligencer – COMPLAINT UPHELD AT HEARING (On eight of 11 questions at Public Hearing in Seattle on Oct. 21, 2006).
  2. Steve Eugster vs. The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review – DENIED (Complainant not named or alluded to in stories.)
  3. Joseph de Beauchamp vs. Puget Sound Business Journal – DISMISSED and RESOLVED.
  4. Three Gold Bar residents vs. www.ittakesgrit.org – DENIED (Not legitimate news site.)
  5. Sonya Zalubowski vs. The (Vancouver) Columbian – DENIED (Complaint concerned an editorial opinion column, not factual inaccuracies.)
  6. Washington State Beef Commission, Washington Dairy Products Commission, and Midway Meats Inc. vs. KIRO-TV – COMPLAINT UPHELD AT HEARING (On eight of nine questions at Public Hearing in Seattle on June 14, 2003.)
  7. Washington Arms Collectors vs. KIRO-TV – DENIED (Complainant not named or alluded to in broadcast.)
  8. Heidi Collins vs. The Valley View – DENIED (Complainant not named in story.)                                                                                                                                                                
  9. Des Moines Chamber of Commerce vs. Highline Times/Des Moines News – COMPLAINT RESOLVED. (News Council successfully mediated a compromise between parties.)
  10. Soap Lake Resident vs. The Seattle Times – DENIED (Complainant asked to remain anonymous.)
  11. Charles Seablom vs. KIRO-TV – DENIED (Complainant not named or alluded to in broadcast.)
  12. Richard Benjamin vs. Robinson Newspapers – DENIED (Complaint concerned verbal remark, not published materials.)
  13. Joseph Coomer vs. The Seattle Times – DENIED (Complainant not named in stories.)
  14. Joseph Coomer vs. Highline Times – DENIED (Complainant not named in stories.)
  15. Hubert Locke vs. The Seattle Times – COMPLAINT NOT UPHELD AT HEARING (On three questions at Public Hearing in Seattle, Oct. 13, 2001).
  16. Naval Avenue Neighborhood Council vs. The Bremerton Sun – DENIED (Complainants completed complaint forms but did not finish documentation.)
  17. Edward Shaffer vs. The Bellingham Herald – COMPLAINT RESOLVED (Complaint withdrawn after WNC contacted newspaper, which ran correction and issued apology to complainant.)
  18. Jim Weber vs. The Olympian – DENIED (Complainant did not comply with WNC procedures.)

19.      Michael Morgan vs. Seattle Gay News – DENIED (Complaint accepted and hearing scheduled, but cancelled when follow-up story was revealed.)
20.      Glenn Ledbetter vs. The Seattle Times – COMPLAINT RESOLVED (After complaint was filed with WNC, newspaper ran follow-up story and letter-to-the editor, so complaint withdrawn.)
21.      Mick Sheldon vs. North Kitsap Herald – DENIED (Insufficient grounds)
22.      Bernard Friedman vs. The Olympian – COMPLAINT UPHELD AT HEARING (By 9-6
           vote of News Council at Public Hearing in Olympia, Feb. 12, 2000.)

PUBLIC FORUMS

Held 17 public forums with panels of journalists and citizens on media issues:

 

“Today’s News: A ‘Webolution’ in Progress” – Sept. 17, 2007
“What Does Freedom of Speech Really Mean for Students?” – Feb. 3, 2007
“Spokane Spokesman-Review’s Coverage of Mayor Jim West” – Feb. 8, 2006
“Consuming News in the Age of Blogs” (with U.W. Evans School) – May 10 & 12, 2005
“Breaking News: The State of Today’s Information Media” (with Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council) – Six-week long series of forums from Feb. 27 to April 2, 2004
“The Media and the War” (with Seattle Media Forum) – April 22, 2003
“Media Coverage of the War on Terrorism” (with World Affairs Council) – Feb. 25, 2002
“The News Media During Wartime” – Oct. 1, 2001
“The Elements of Journalism” (with Bill Kovach & Tom Rosensteil) – July 18, 2001
“News Media Coverage of ‘Fat Tuesday’” – March 20, 2001
“Increasing Minority Access to the New Media” – July 8, 1999
“The News Media and School Violence” – May 13, 1999
                                                           

STUDENT MOCK HEARINGS

Held 28 student mock news council hearings with journalism classes statewide:

Bainbridge Island High School, 2004
The Center School, Seattle – 2007
Central Washington University, Ellensburg – 2006, 2005, 1999
Eastern Washington University, Spokane – 2004
Everett Community College, Everett – 2005, 2004, 2002
Gonzaga University, Spokane – 2005, 2004, 2003
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma – 2006, 2000, 1999
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle – 2006
Seattle University, Seattle – 2005, 2002
University of Washington, Seattle – 2000
Washington State University, Pullman – 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Whitworth College, Spokane – 2005, 2004, 2001

GRIDIRON WEST DINNERS

Held 9 successful events to “toast” journalists, politicians and civic leaders:

Nov. 9, 2006 (Seattle) & Nov. 11, 2006 (Spokane) – Slade Gorton and Tom Foley
Nov. 9, 2005 – Bill Gates Sr. and Mimi Gardner Gates
Nov. 5, 2004 – Gary Locke and Jennifer Dunn
Nov. 7, 2003 – Jim Ellis and John Ellis
Nov. 9, 2002 – Al Rosellini, Dan Evans, John Spellman, Booth Gardner, Mike Lowry
Nov. 11, 2001 – Jean Enersen, Kathi Goertzen and Susan Hutchison
Nov. 11, 2000 – Emmett Watson
Nov. 12, 1999 – Adele Ferguson, Dick Larsen, Mike Layton, Shelby Scates

DICK LARSEN/HERB ROBINSON SCHOLARSHIPS

 

Raised more than $20,000 for scholarship fund and awarded 15 scholarships:

Brittany Lewis, Pacific Lutheran University (2007)
Nicole Peterson, WSU-Vancouver (2007)
Kacie McKinney, Western Washington University (2006)
Byron Edelman, Washington State University (2006)
Steffany Bell, University of Washington (2005)
Sara Butler, Eastern Washington University (2005)
Sarah McGuire, Washington State University (2004)
Michelle de Beauchamp, Pacific Lutheran University (2004)
Mary Andom, Western Washington University (2003)
Hazen Hyland, Pacific Lutheran University (2003)
Sarah McGuire, Washington State University (2002)
Steven Friederich, University of Washington (2002)
Chris Chancellor, Washington State University (2001)
Adam Faber, University of Washington (2001)
Cynthia Jones, University of Washington (2000)