"A marvelously revealing show and tell about how media censorship really works in America from some of the ablest print and broadcast journalists around."
- Mark Hertsgaard - author, On Bended Knee

"Strong stuff but all too true...Speaks hard truths about self-censorship in the press"
- Hodding Carter

To the public, journalists will do anything for a story - push their way through crowds, bombard officials with hostile questions, even bring down presidents.  Fear and Favor... shatters this myth by providing an insiders' critique of how corporate press lords constrict the free flow of ideas and information.   Interviews with celebrated journalists provide case studies of stories which were spiked and reporters who were demoted or fired at prestigious organizations like the Atlanta Constitution, The New York Times and NBC News.  From this intimidation, other journalists quickly learn to practice self-censorship whenever a story may conflict with the interests of their corporate employees.  For example, The New York Times pulled Polk Award winning reporter Frances Cerra off her beat when she insist on reporting cost over-runs at the Shoreham nuclear power plant.  She concludes: "I came to understand that freedom of the press is only guaranteed when you own the press.  This is something I learned from The New York Times."

Another must see tape.  Studs Terkle is the narrator, and he walks you through the real world of newspapers and broadcasting.  The boards of directors of some of the largest companies in America have interlocking members with major news organizations.   When the publisher of a major newspaper travels in the same circle as politicians and high society, is it any wonder that an ambitious reporter may be told that a particular unfavorable story might not be a, "good idea?"

Buy the tape

Producer/Director: Beth Sanders
Co-Producer/Writer: Randy Baker
Northwest Passage Productions
in association with KTEH, San Jose Public Television
57 minutes, 1996