ACTIVISTS SAY...

I'll get to the rest of the backlogged stories in a day or so, but I have to squeeze this in 'cause it drives me nuts. In this AP chronicle of Bea Arthur having a foie gras producer (and the menu item itself) removed from a benefit dinner, compare these two phrasings:

* Foie gras producers force-feed the birds large quantities of food through a tube that is jammed down their throats several times a day. The extra food causes the livers to swell up to 10 times their normal size and often tears the birds' throats.

* Animal rights activists say foie gras producers force-feed the birds large quantities of food through a tube that is jammed down their throats several times a day. They say the extra food causes the livers to swell up to 10 times their normal size and often tears the birds' throats.

The second is the standard phrasing used by mainstream media to present any facts that are uncomfortable (which covers most of those having to do with meat), a clear illustration of media bias against animal issues. Either what is said about foie gras production is true, or it's not. Or some of it's true, but other parts aren't. In whatever case, that's what we, the readers, need to know. Now, in this case, the writer of this story knew damn well it was true (else there would have been an immediate contradictory quote from the other side), but phrased this - the crux of the entire article! - as though it were a matter of opinion. That's bad storytelling, and bad journalism.