**Focus on internal relations Fox News Kills Monsanto News story 2:56-4:00
Station: Fox WTVT in Tampa Fox caved into the pressure from Monsanto In 1997, Monsanto attorneys threatened to sue the station if it aired a series about Monsanto’s bovine growth hormone without making certain changes Make sure to state Internal Relations topic Monsanto is the only one who knows how many farmers are using the growth hormone. Monsanto does not present sale figures but claims it is the largest manufacturer. Secretive operations that made it compelling to study People are being misled or lied to about how much your milk comes from cows with injected with growth hormone- leading consumers to believe that their milk doesn’t contain the hormone Fax came from Monsanto attorney- Fax was threatening
News station manager concerned with station image Station decided to delay broadcast- Old Station Manager screened reports and found nothing wrong. found no major problems with its accuracy and fairness, and set a new air date. Fox received a second letter from Monsanto's attorney, claiming that "some of the points" we were asking about "clearly contain the elements of defamatory statements which, if repeated in a broadcast, could lead to serious damage to Monsanto and dire consequences for Fox News.” it was clearly on life support as Fox's own attorneys and top-level managers, fearful of a legal challenge or losing advertiser support, looked for some way to discreetly pull the plug.
Fox aired an rBHG story filled with many of the lies the reporters refused to broadcast as damage control; reported by a young and inexperienced reporter
Last story of their 19 year broadcast journalism careers and nearly destroyed their lives and family- they took a big risk Refer to text terms*
Change in management New manager didn’t make ethical decision Corporate goals came before ethics and public interest Caved in to external pressures