`20/20' Can't See The News In Nuclear-Industry Stories

TV newsmagazine shows like "60 Minutes," "PrimeTime Live" and "20/20" pride themselves on their big exposes. But they become quite uncomfortable when their own practices are scrutinized.

A new examination of "20/20" - ABC's top-rated news show hosted by Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters - has found its vision on nuclear and environmental stories to be far less than perfect. Indeed, the show seems to have closed its eyes to certain stories.

In an unusual display of outspokenness about the internal workings of a news program, many current or former "20/20" producers are asserting that the head of the program, executive producer Victor Neufeld, has consistently rejected and discouraged reports on nuclear issues.

And some producers go further: They point to the fact that Neufeld's wife, Lois, is a prominent publicist for the nuclear and chemical industries.

"It was common knowledge among the staff," said Ed Whitmore, a former "20/20" associate producer, "that Victor's wife was connected to these industries and the boss wasn't interested in doing environmental stories."

Here are some specific complaints from producers:

-- Since Neufeld became "20/20's" executive producer in 1987, the program has aired only one nuclear-related story - John Stossel's one-sided segment extolling the irradiation of food.

-- Neufeld rejected several promising stories on nuclear issues, including one on safety problems at the Rocky Flats nuclear

facility in Colorado and one on new revelations that radioactivity had been discharged at Ohio's Fernald plant - a story "20/20" had covered before Neufeld became boss. "It blew my mind," remarked former "20/20" producer Charles Thompson, "that Victor didn't see the importance of (Fernald.)"

-- Neufeld canceled a dramatic piece with spectacular footage on "jumpers" - nuclear maintenance workers who go from plant to plant, absorbing high amounts of radiation.

-- During Neufeld's tenure, a number of stories - often reported by John Stossel - have ridiculed environmental concerns. One segment, "Much Ado About Nothing?" minimized the cancer risk of toxic chemicals. Another story, "The Town That Loves Garbage," touted the virtues of landfills.

The allegations about "20/20's" impaired vision were documented by investigative reporter Karl Grossman for an article in EXTRA!, the magazine of FAIR - a media watch group with which we are associated. Grossman has written books critical of the nuclear industry.

Victor Neufeld refused to be interviewed by Grossman or us, but he issued a written statement: "It is inconceivable that I would compromise my own integrity, or that of ABC News, to further the professional or personal gains of anyone close to me, be it my wife, a relative or a friend."

If Neufeld had taken our calls, we would have asked a simple question: To avoid any appearance of conflict, shouldn't he remove himself from decision-making on "20/20" stories involving the industries his wife champions as a publicist?

For years, Lois Neufeld has been a leading publicist in New York for the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness, the promotional arm of the nuclear power industry.

A spokesperson for the council told EXTRA! that Lois Neufeld helps TV journalists "get steered where they need to get information, where they need to get industry perspective for a story." In April 1989, Victor Neufeld spoke at a conference of the pro-nuclear group.

That same year, Lois Neufeld was retained by the "Industry Coalition for the Environment," an alliance that includes chemical, petroleum and plastics companies. A key part of her job was to steer TV journalists - including those who worked for her husband - to industry viewpoints in covering the huge 1990 Earth Day. "20/20" marked Earth Day with a hard-hitting report on pollution . . . in East Germany.

A publicist who worked with Lois Neufeld for the Industry Coalition praised her inside knowledge of TV news shows, saying she did "a pretty good job of keeping tabs on who was planning to do what, which was important to us."

In 1985, Lois Neufeld picked up early intelligence about an ABC documentary on nuclear power; according to one producer, staffers "resented the interference" when she kept calling about the program, implying they "were getting things wrong."

Let's be clear: Lois Neufeld has the right to do public-relations work for any industry she chooses.

But ABC News has a higher duty: to assure the 14 million viewers of "20/20" that its editorial judgment on nuclear and environmental issues is not impaired by internal or external forces. (Copyright, 1993, Creators Syndicate, Inc.) Syndicated columnists Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon are regular contributors to Saturday's Media Beat column.