RALEIGH
E-mails involving a North Carolina public television report critical of Alcoa show that one researcher on the project took money from a group opposed to the aluminum company's continued control of dams on the Yadkin River.
E-mails released by UNC-TV show that former House Speaker Richard Morgan, who now works for the North Carolina Water Rights Committee, agreed to pay $3,000 to researcher Martin Sansone.
"Martin does a lot of research, so he was doing research for me," reporter Eszter Vajda told the Raleigh News & Observer in an interview Friday. Vajda said the water group wanted information Sansone had uncovered for its website.
Morgan said Vajda and Sansone asked for money during a meeting with him and others working with the water rights committee.
"They both met with me and others and essentially pitched us for subsistence so he could stay here," Morgan said. "He couldn't afford to stay otherwise."
Sansone, who lives in Europe, said he was simply trying to obtain information for Vajda, who multiple media outlets described as a longtime friend of the researcher.
"I don't care who runs the dams," he said.
Alcoa filed a Freedom of Information request with the state-run television station to obtain the e-mails. Vajda's report had been viewed by lawmakers before it was aired earlier this year. Alcoa is seeking relicensing for the dams it operates while some lawmakers want the dams put in a public trust.
UNC-TV production director Shannon Vickery said the station was didn't know Vajda's researcher had taken money from an Alcoa opponent before parts of the report were aired.
"It's information we did not have as we were in our decision-making process," Vickery said. "It is not something that would normally happen."
UNC-TV aired some of Vajda's work as segments on its news show "North Carolina Now" with disclaimers that the reports had not gone through the station's normal editing.
After a request from the station's general manager, the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication criticized the station for a breakdown in its editorial process and for allowing the reporter to control the final product.
"In retrospect, we would have preferred the reports to be more carefully put together," said UNC-TV communications director Steve Volstad.
UNC-TV is a part of the University of North Carolina system and released the information because it is a state agency even though it is involved in newsgathering.
"We have not included anything privileged from a journalistic standpoint or legally protected from a journalistic standpoint, which would include anything related to the creation, production or information-gathering process," Volstad said.
Alcoa is seeking to renew its license to operate hydroelectric dams on the Yadkin River. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering whether to renew those licenses or allow the dams to be turned over to the state.
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