TV Firm's Deal With State Raises Eyebrows

From http://www.tulsaworld.com/ and http://www.newsok.com/ ~ The state is paying more than $3 million to an Oklahoma media company, Griffin Communications, to advertise a state insurance program and the company has promised to air television news stories on its Tulsa (KOTV) and Oklahoma City (KWTV) stations as part of the deal, records show.

One media analyst expressed concern that by taking state money, the company has compromised the integrity of its television news outlets.

“This kind of question arises when news media organizations try to diversify, when they are looking at more ways to make money,” said Joey Senat, associate professor of media law at Oklahoma State University. “It does create the potential for unethical behavior,” he said.

The key is whether a company discloses the sponsor of the information and “the number of walls they put between the newsroom and the other arm of the company doing the marketing,” Senat said.

David Griffin, president and chief executive officer of Oklahoma City-based Griffin Communications LLC, said the company believes in transparency.

“We don’t sell the news. We never have and we never will,” he said. “The spots that run match up to our commitment to Insure Oklahoma.”

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Expert: McAlester DA's Action 'Outrageous'

By Tony Thornton/The Oklahoman ~ An Internet message board administrator today filed a formal objection to a subpoena ordering him to surrender information about people who posted on his site.

Meanwhile, McAlester police confirmed the subpoena is part of a criminal libel investigation for comments critical of District Attorney Jim Miller (pictured).

It remained unclear today who authorized the investigation, which apparently targets a Web site called the McAlester Watercooler (http://www.mccooler.net) and its administrator, Harold King.

King said two police detectives delivered the subpoena to him Tuesday. The subpoena orders King to supply by Saturday the names, addresses and other identifiers for 35 people who posted under pseudonyms.

King's objection states that he won't comply because the subpoena doesn't state who authorized it. Therefore, he wrote, "I consider the subpoena to be invalid."

The objection automatically forestalls the requirement on King to deliver the documents.

Miller told the Tulsa World he considered some comments on the Watercooler to be libelous.

Oklahoma is among 16 states with criminal libel laws still on the books, according to the Student Press Law Center. Most recently, Utah abolished its law in 2007.

An openness-in-government expert today said the subpoena "smacks of intimidation."

"It's outrageous for a district attorney to investigate criminal libel for criticism made against him. ... If he believes he has been libeled, he should sue civilly," said Joey Senate, past president of Freedom of Information Oklahoma and an assistant professor of journalism at Oklahoma State University.

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