Objective reporting needed
By Mark Staples, Government Affairs Counsel
Montana Tavern Association
There are folks in the media in Montana who, though they purport to report objectively, nevertheless utilize not so subtle techniques to get around that professional expectation.
A very basic but graphic example is the reporting in the daily press regarding “stings” of alcohol licensees. In case after case, no matter how high is the percentage of licensees who “pass” the sting, (usually anywhere from 70 to 95 percent), the headline most often reads “__ (fill in the number) Places Fail Compliance Checks.” It doesn't matter if 27 of 30 checked actually passed, the headline reads “Three Businesses Fail.”
Wouldn't it be more accurate (and more fair) to say that “90 Percent of Local Businesses Pass”?
And what of the times when say 28 pass but seven fail? That's still 80 percent passage. Yet, in the text of the stories, that high rate (or even 90 percent) is always denounced as “not good enough!”
Study after study shows 90 percent of the under-aged who are getting alcohol are not getting it from retail businesses. That means at most 10 percent are. How does the media justify minimizing the 90 percent and sensationalizing the 10 percent?
In contrast, when smoking opponents routinely say “80 percent of Montanans favor a ban on smoking,” it's treated as a societal mandate ... a literal landslide. Routinely also, if a political candidate has an approval rating over 65-70 percent, he/she is touted as “safe” from challenge.
In every other public sphere, a 70-95 percent rate of compliance or support (or only a 10 percent youth access), would be lauded by the media. In the realm of retail alcohol, however, it is unjustly treated like the black hole from which issue all other problems of DUI and underage alcohol use.
The problem is, it's not true. Period. Study after study has shown that it's not.
Overwhelmingly, Montana retail alcohol sellers serve only adults, and do a good job ferreting-out the few minors who actually try to get their alcohol from retail sources.
These Montana retail alcohol licensees take seriously their responsibility to only sell to, or serve to, adults. A very high percentage of retail alcohol servers undergo professional training, and again, underage users of alcohol have – over and over again – established that less than 10 percent of their access is from retail businesses.
Yes, some servers and sellers make an honest mistake, and some, yes, are not careful enough, and yes, “stings” do focus retailers' attention and resolve. But, not only are retail sales a very small percentage of underage access, it's most always a distinct minority of establishments that fail the compliance checks.
Some balanced reporting – and headlining – of these facts would be a start towards our state effectively, proportionately, and honestly addressing the public's concerns with alcohol.