Fox News, Fair and Balanced Water Reporting in the Central Valley

Jennifer Witherspoon is the California Communications Director at EDF.

Recently I had the enlightening opportunity to accompany Spreck to Fresno on December 7th for a special KMPH news program on the “Central Valley Water Crisis.”

Not only was Spreck invited to speak on a panel about California water supply issues, but he was joined by numerous leaders from the environmental community, mayors from the towns of Firebaugh and Mendota, farmers, fishermen and Central Valley Congressmen, and even by Judge Oliver Wanger, who is presiding over the hearings and lawsuits related to the biological opinions that temporarily reduced water supplies to farmers to protect endangered species like the Delta smelt and Chinook salmon.

I was impressed that a Fox affiliate would be so proactive to organize such in-depth coverage, especially in light of the biased reporting and theatrics on California water coming out of Fox’s Sean Hannity program over the past year. I for one was skeptical having seen Fox news edit programs in biased ways, even after assurances of fair play.

But our water team is confident in Spreck’s – and EDF’s – approach that aims to lower the rhetoric and “find the ways that work.” Spreck has worked with EDF for over 20 years, and he knows the water supply system of California better than just about any one. He wanted the opportunity to address the inequities of the California water supply system – that outdated rules of the past serve as a disincentive to conservation and to bringing conserved water from those who have it to those who need it.

There were plenty of fireworks that night, mostly set off by comments from Central Valley Congressman Devin Nunes, as he challenged U.C. Berkeley economist Richard Walker and Zeke Grader of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen Associations.

But Spreck remained calm and acknowledged the good work that west side farmers have done to conserve water. He did get in the last word to correct the record that the “pumps were never off” as so much of the rhetoric has claimed, but temporarily reduced and returned to full capacity on June 30th, 2009. Since the taping we have heard support for our views on water markets from Westside farmers, even though they do not support the protections currently in place for endangered fish.

Hats off to KMPH for truly creating a “fair and balanced” program.