Colorado Progressive

9News ran a special investigation last night on abuses in the use of Colorado food stamps. The companion article states “9NEWS is presenting both sides of the story so readers can make their own judgments.” Unfortunately, the channel’s hype undercuts any appearance of impartiality objectivity. [Late revision--Ed.] That the station relied on a single, unnamed source casts doubts on the overall depth of investigation and care with this piece. And while 9News may claim to encourage readers/viewers to make their own judgments, the nature of the presentation panders to viewer anger.

Here’s the lead in:

Little did you know, you’ve been buying king crab legs, lobster, T-bone steak at the grocery store. You bought it, somebody else ate it.

Colorado spends tens of millions of dollars a month to keep its food stamp program running, gives low-income families a helping hand during tough times.

But 9Wants to Know has uncovered evidence that some of those people are eating very, very well on your dime. Investigative reporter Jace Larson spent months looking into the kinds of items taxpayers are paying for at the grocery store.

So much for “we present, you decide.” 9News makes clear from the intro that the taxpayer is getting duped. “Little did you know”; “You bought it, someone else ate it”; “some of those people are eating very, very well on your dime.” Boil it all down to a simple stage direction at the very top of the report: Cue anger.

The report is based on a tip from an unidentified grocery clerk frustrated by food stamp recipients who buy items such as steak and birthday cake with government vouchers. 9News shows viewers the saved receipts that illustrate the extent to which the taxpayer gets suckered. Consumers bought donuts, Red Bull, shrimp scampi, and crab legs with state funds.

Okay, crab legs are deluxe. But the hype is curdling. No mention of whether the items were on sale. No discussion with the consumers about how the foods would be used. Larson does not talk to other checkers or grocery store employees. He does not even, by his own report, visit more than “one Colorado grocery store.” And yet the reported abuses are presented as endemic to the statewide system.

To make matters more damning, the report lumps in abuses from another program, which offers cash assistance to the particularly needy to pay for housing and utilities or buy non-food items such as diapers or cleaning supplies. The grocery checker says aid recipients are turning the cash into cigarettes and lottery tickets.

Look, it’s inevitable that there will be some abuse in any program. And, unfortunately, people who ought to buy diapers with assistance funds may buy cigarettes and scratch cards instead. I don’t like it, I don’t think you should like it, and I wish the state would direct more money toward education and external support to curb the abuse. Even then, though, there will still be abuses. Some people who qualify for help will make irresponsible choices. But I’m having a hard time getting worked up about 9News’ findings based on one checker, one store, and a handful of dollars’ worth of receipts.

While 9News is cracking down on fraud, the real losers here are the families already fighting the stigma of food stamps. The station’s broadcast leaves a lasting impression that people who need help should be told what they can buy. Jon Caldara of The Independence Institute points out that this thinking paves a quick road to a special section in the grocery store where those paying with vouchers can get their “broccoli and government cheese.”

I don’t like what’s happening at all. The alternative is much worse, which is to gather up the food you think they ought to eat, put together some sort of distribution system, and poor people can come in and get their broccoli and government cheese. I want to teach people how to be good customers, to make their own economic decisions.

I’m highly inclined to agree. I’ll give the producers credit for not cutting Caldara’s comments. As far as showing both sides of the issue, however, 9News does not report any information about the overall effect of state and federal assistance programs in Colorado. The report does not ask any questions about how many Colorado families play by both the letter and spirit of the rules. Jace Larson does not do any digging to learn whether school children perform better academically and experience higher self esteem when they eat well and even have birthday cake. Instead, by way of wrap up, 9News provides the telephone number for a “fraud hotline” so viewers can narc out folks who abuse the system. Classy.