By Kevin McCauley
The University of Minnesota will now air “Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story” documentary about farm field run-off pollution in the waterway, reversing a decision by its PR chief Karen Himle who wanted to kill the film because she considered it unbalanced.
The move comes as 13 environmental groups set a letter to protest to U o M president Robert Bruininks that demanded the airing of film, a review of the school’s conflict of interest policy and resignation of Himle is she overstepped her authority.
Himle is the wife of John Himle, CEO of Himle Horner, which reps the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council. He was executive director of that lobbying group before launching the Minneapolis-based PR firm. Himle said he had “zero involvement” with the decision to ax the film.
The coalition includes Land Stewardship Project, Audubon Society, Friends of the Mississippi River, Isaak Walton League and Conservation Minnesota.
Troubled Waters is set to debut Oct. 3 at the Bell Museum and then air on public TV.
Brian DeVore, of the LSP, is happy with the U o M’s decision to present the film. He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune the move “indicates that it listened to the public outcry and will not stand for censorship.”
Bell Museum director Susan Weller called the controversy a “dreadful situation” for us. “The university is kind of like a big, messy family. We get along but we have our tiffs and when it goes public it's not pretty,” she said.
|
Ron Levy (9/28):
We can judge which shows a better quality of college management--running the film that faculty members think is not fair and balanced, or holding up on running the film until either (a) impartial investigation shows the faculty members are wrong, or (b) the narration is changed so that faculty members consider the presentation to be fair and balanced. It's easier to knuckle under to environmental or other groups that are admittedly partisan, and to say in effect "screw the faculty." Newspapers, stations and PR firms can be similarly pressured by activists. But the choice may be to (a) do anything needed to end complaints, or (b) do what the faculty and the college management believes to be right. It's a great university, and running the film without resolving faculty complaints of fairness is less great or not great at all--and not a good example to students of how morally responsible managers should manage. |