About a month ago, TMD learned about a segment about U.S. nuclear facilities that was supposed to run earlier this month on ABC News’ “20/20″ program - part of a story that allegedly included interns from the network’s news division who attended various tours at nuclear plants, without ever disclosing that they were there as members of the media. A few days ago, Eric McErlain (who originally picked up the story for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) back on August 24) published an update, which pointed out that the show was being delayed because of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, and that it was actually part of a longer series about nuclear energy and its potential for harm.
In McErlain’s item, he cites Inside NRC, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission publication, which carried a story about one intern who was effectively “called out” by a researcher at Ohio State University, Earl Holland. Holland startled an intern who was trying to follow up on her original story - catching her off guard when Holland told her what she looked like, what she was wearing, and what her car’s license plate number was during a phone conversation containing the same questions asked while on a tour. She obviously didn’t think Holland would put two and two together. Oops.
Most staggering to me in the piece is what Inside NRC’s Jenny Weil uncovered next about Holland’s involvement. Apparently, when Holland would ultimately speak with ABC News directly, he found that the network “was ready to run with the story that the interns had been let inside the reactor building by a gardener.” Tabloid journalism, indeed. Fortunately, it turned out that it wasn’t your garden variety gardener (sorry, had to do it), but “the former director of the facility” - who happened to be outside, taking care some plants. That former director is retired, but Holland told Wiel that the man is “still an active licensed reactor operator.”
Since the previous story here, ABC News has not responded for our request for information about the segments or made any comment about the interns’ place in this project.
