PLAP 3140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Food Lion, Rielle Hunter, National Enquirer
10.17.16
● Agenda
○ Odds and Ends
○ Makings the News 2 : Scandal Coverage
○ Making the News 3 : The Interdependence of Media and Political Actors
● Online Quiz
○ Tuesday, October 18th from 7 am to Wednesday October 19th at 3 pm.
○ 40ish-50ish questions
● Paper 1
○ Due Friday, November 4th at 5:00 pm - electronic copy on collab, and hard copy
in TA mailbox
○ Find 2 examples of the same news story from two different media sources (radio
report, newspaper article, TV, news=related web site) -- must be within the last
three months. Examples can but don’t have to be from the same medium -
reports from dif newspaper articles or television news broadcasts are fine
○ Briefly describe the story and the nature of the coverage
○ Should be 5-6 pages, double-spaced
○ Freedman suggest we use news about the political world
● John Edwards: National Enquirer -- “presidential cheating scandal”
○ Affair
■ Rielle Hunter; love child
■ Elizabeth Edwards was particularly beloved; especially by press
○ Election finance fraud
○ National Enquirer went with the story - no major newspaper or broadcast covered
it
● Food Lion vs. ABC News (1992-1999)
○ In November 1992, 2 ABC News producers obtained jobs at Food Lion grocery
stores by submitting applications that didn’t include ABC. ABC broadcasted a
report on “PrimeTime Live” alleging that Food Lion’s meat department at those
stores required employees to engage in unsafe, unhealthy or illegal practices,
including selling old meat that was washed with bleach to kill odor, selling cheese
that had been gnawed by rats and working off the time clock.
○ FOOD LION SUES: Food Lion sued ABC in July 1995 in federal court in
Greensboro, N.C., alleging fraud, breach of the duty of loyalty, trespass and
unfair trade practices under North Carolina law. The chain argued that ABC used
illegal newsgathering methods to obtain the information for the report. The
lawsuit did NOT claim the story was false -- just that ABC News violated
journalistic ethics and laws against fraud.
○ AND THEY WON: In 1996, Food Lion award $1,400 in damages for producers’
salaries and training -- and in 1997, Food Lion awarded $5.5 million in punitive
damage,
○ This was later reduced by a federal judge to $315,000
○ 1999: Appeals court throws out punitive damages, reduces actual damages to $2
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Makings the news 2 : scandal coverage. Making the news 3 : the interdependence of media and political actors. Tuesday, october 18th from 7 am to wednesday october 19th at 3 pm. Due friday, november 4th at 5:00 pm - electronic copy on collab, and hard copy in ta mailbox. Find 2 examples of the same news story from two different media sources (radio report, newspaper article, tv, news=related web site) -- must be within the last three months. Examples can but don"t have to be from the same medium - reports from dif newspaper articles or television news broadcasts are fine. Briefly describe the story and the nature of the coverage. Freedman suggest we use news about the political world. John edwards: national enquirer -- presidential cheating scandal . Elizabeth edwards was particularly beloved; especially by press. National enquirer went with the story - no major newspaper or broadcast covered.