Lawmakers upset at ban of on-air patriotic displays

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- State lawmakers are upset about a ban of on-air displays of patriotic symbols by newscasters at the commercial television station owned by the University of Missouri-Columbia.

But KOMU-TV news director Stacey Woelfel said Thursday that the policy is a matter of journalistic ethics, to demonstrate to the NBC affiliate's viewers "that in no way are we influenced by the government in informing the public."

"Leave the ribbons at home when reporting or anchoring for KOMU News," Woelfel said in an e-mail to staffers within days of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.

Those staffers include scores of journalism students for whom the KOMU newsroom is a working laboratory.

State lawmakers who received forwarded copies of Woelfel's e-mail criticized the policy, saying it limited freedom of speech by KOMU staffers. Some legislators pledged to sharply scrutinize future university budget requests.

KOMU is in the unusual circumstance of serving as a commercial television station owned by a taxpayer-supported university. Its operating costs are paid from advertising revenues, although its newsroom instructors receive part of their salaries from state funds.

Woelfel said in an interview that KOMU's status as a government-owned station made it all the more important to let viewers know its news reports are "free from government influence."

His e-mail said "our news broadcasts are not the place for personal statements of support for any cause -- no matter how deserving the cause seems to be."

"This includes the little red, white, and blue ribbons that a lot of people are sporting these days," Woelfel wrote. "Our job is to deliver the news as free from outside influences as possible."

The station competes in the Columbia-Jefferson City market against ABC and CBS affiliates, which said their newsrooms have imposed no similar policy.

Woelfel said 80 percent to 90 percent of calls received by the station about the policy opposed it. Marty Siddall, the station's general manager, said one advertiser withdrew ads because of the policy, and another local company canceled plans to start advertising.

But Siddall said other KOMU advertisers had "called to tell us they understood this policy."

State Rep. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, had an exchange of e-mails with Woelfel debating the policy. Bartle said in a telephone interview that "the state-owned TV station should not unconstitutionally violate the free speech rights of its employees."

But Bartle said he doubted legislative budget actions would have an effect on the policy because KOMU doesn't rely on state funding for its operations.

"All I can do now is complain and hope that cooler heads revise this policy," Bartle said.

The KOMU debate is part of a national discussion among journalists about whether flag displays during an intense period of grief and patriotism are consistent with trying to appear objective on stories.

Barbara Walters of ABC has told viewers that wearing the flag is discouraged because it may confuse the audience. She also said viewers might wonder whether an employee who doesn't wear the flag is less patriotic than one who does.

But NBC's Tim Russert wore a red, white and blue ribbon on his lapel while moderating "Meet The Press." CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC have been displaying flag graphics during newscasts.

Siddall noted that KOMU's non-news programming and station promos prominently display Old Glory. And NBC's tiny logo appearing during all network shows now has red, white and blue around the familiar peacock.