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Friday, Oct. 31, 2003

That could mean not only religious but also political messages on the company's giant electronic billboard, Reuters spokesman Steve Naru said Thursday.

"The whole policy will be up for review," he said.

Thanksgiving Isn't P.C.

The immediate effect was a victory for the United Methodist Church, which signed a $30,000 contract in September to display a series of Thanksgiving season messages, only to have Reuters revoke the deal on grounds that it violated company rules designed to "preserve its independence, integrity and freedom from bias."

The policy, dating from the 1940s, when Reuters was owned by a British media trust, specifically prohibited messages with religious or political content, a company spokeswoman said. Reuters went public in 1984 but retained some of the former policies.

Alcohol Was OK; Hope Wasn't

The Rev. Larry Hollon, chief spokesman for the Nashville-based Methodist denomination, which claims 10 million members worldwide, complained that Reuters allowed beer advertising while rejecting "messages of hope, peace and reconciliation."

In a letter to Hollon dated Tuesday, Reuters chief executive officer Thomas Glocer said he had reconsidered the ban on the UMC's ads, which were to run for 11 days as part of a four-year $21 million media campaign.

"On reflection, I believe that you are right," Glocer said. "Consumers have become more sophisticated over recent years, and I think there is little likelihood of an advertisement being viewed as the opinion of a news gatherer such as Reuters."

The 32-story Reuters building, which opened in 2001, has three full-color LED display screens covering 7,000 square feet. An estimated 1.5 million people pass through the area daily, the company says.

© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Editor's note:
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