Glossing Over Murder in Colombia

Analysis:

Both stories were rather short and according to our monitoring work, this was the first time this issue was mentioned in local TV news coverage. The WZZM story started “The University of Michigan is welcoming Coca Cola to its campus. University officials dropped Coke purchases in December over the pop company’s’ labor practices in India and Colombia. Today U of M officials said they were satisfied with plans for investigations into the soft drink company’s practices. Michigan was one of twelve schools in the boycott against Coca Cola.” The WOOD 8 story was about the same length but did note that the specific complaints about Coca Cola that “In Columbia labor groups have accused the company in conspiring with right wing paramilitary groups to harass and harm workers.”

Both stories ignored the fact that this boycott was the result of a campaign organized not by university administrators but by students. This effort, entitled “Campaign To Boycott Killer Coke!” is part of an ongoing effort to hold Coke accountable for its pratices in Colombia and elsewhere. This was not mentioned in the TV stories, nor was it mentioned that the University ended the boycott against the wishes of the students who had organized the boycott effort, or that the nationwide coalition of groups that make up the Killer Coke campaign were still calling for boycotts. Also not presented in the TV stories were the actual specifics of the claims against Coke. The WZZM 13 story totally glossed over this point merely stating that there were problems with Coke’s “companys’ labor practices.” The WOOD 8 story was more detailed in that is noted that Coke had ties to Paramilitary groups in Colombia. According to the Killer Coke campaign, eight union organizers at Colombian Coke bottling plants have been killed by Paramilitary groups, and “Hundreds of other Coke workers have been tortured, kidnapped and/or illegally detained.” The WZZM 13 piece does mention that complaints have been leveled at Cokes plants in Inda as well but does not give any specifics. According to an article by Michael Blanding of the Nation, Coke bottling plants in India have lead to “polluted and depleted water supplies.”

Story:

WOOD 8 Newsreader – University of Michigan will buy Coca Cola again. U of M has agreed to resume the purchase of Coca Cola products. At least 12 schools that had joined a coke-boycott. They stopped buying Coca Cola products for vending machines in residence halls, cafeterias and campus restaurants on January 1st over allegations that the company commits human rights and environmental abuses overseas. In Columbia labor groups have accused the company in conspiring with right wing paramilitary groups to harass and harm workers.

—————————————-

WZZM 13 Newsreader – The University of Michigan is welcoming Coca Cola to it’s campus. University officials dropped Coke purchases in December over the pop companys’ labor practices in India and Colombia. Today U of M officials said they were satisfied with plans for investigations into the soft drink company’s practices. Michigan was one of twelve schools in the boycott against Coca Cola.