McVeigh and the Media



April 21, 2001



BROOKE GLADSTONE: Timothy McVeigh, architect of the Oklahoma City bombing, will die by lethal injection on May 16th. Barring a last minute stay, his will be the first federal execution to be given the go ahead since 1963. Already the media circus is pitching its tent in Terre Haute, Indiana where McVeigh is being held, and that's what's worrying Attorney General John Ashcroft. Anticipating blanket coverage of the event, the attorney general has moved to limit press access. Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio Television News Directors Association, protested the restrictions in an open letter. Barbara Cochran, thanks for coming in.

BARBARA COCHRAN: Thank you, Brooke; it's great to be here.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: So what are the details of the restrictions?

BARBARA COCHRAN: Well for one thing, General Ashcroft said that he would forbid any television interviews which rules out a, an entire medium and of course we objected to that. Secondly he said that McVeigh would be limited to 15 minutes a day to use the telephone and he could presumably call news organizations and do interviews during that time, but General Ashcroft also asked that the reporters voluntarily refrain from recording those interviews, and again that we also inhibit people who practice electronic journalism without being able to use McVeigh's own words as he speaks them.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Actually what Ashcroft said was something to the effect of he was asking the press not to be co-conspirators with McVeigh in his assault on America by giving a mass murderer access to the public podium. What do you think about that?

BARBARA COCHRAN: Well I think it's an entirely-- out of bounds suggestion for someone who is a government official who is the chief law enforcement officer of our country and of course his words carry very strong weight and it, it is precisely because he is a government official attempting to define what is and is not news that we objected.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:You suggested in your letter to Mr. Ashcroft your actions wi--which placed severe limitations on how a particular individual may comment to reporters and thus the public present complex problems and raise significant constitutional concerns. What about the Constitution -- does the Supreme Court sanction his decision?

BARBARA COCHRAN: Not particularly. I mean the-- I mean the only reasons that a government official would have for limiting access would be security and the orderly administration of justice, and instead General Ashcroft said that it's a matter of taste.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Let's pursue that issue for a second, then. How much information does the public actually need? Why do we need to see pictures of his final days and hear from him before his execution?

BARBARA COCHRAN: The, the death penalty is the most serious sanction that the government can take against one of its citizens, and we have - the public has had access to this case right straight along. It, it seems fitting that they should continue to at least be allowed to hear the thoughts of McVeigh in his final days if he chooses to-- to do interviews.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Currently it looks as if the execution itself will be broadcast on closed circuit television just for the victims' families and, and other interested parties. Do you think it should be broadcast for the general public?

BARBARA COCHRAN: We d-- we think that there is a, a legal right to do so but that it - as a matter of editorial discretion - it's very unlikely that anyone would use it.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Have you had any response from the attorney general's office to your letter?

BARBARA COCHRAN:No. [LAUGHS] I think the important thing here i-- was not that we necessarily thought that he would change his mind in, in retrospect, but it was to highlight the fact that it's not in, in interest of anyone to have access to the public podium be controlled by government officials.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Well thank you very much.

BARBARA COCHRAN: Thank you.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Barbara Cochran is the president of the Radio and Television News Directors Association.