Strange Brew of Coverage Now Brings Praise for Coffee
“Today we got more intriguing evidence that coffee can be good for you, with a new study that suggests it can cut your risk of Type 2 Diabetes,” ABC’s Charles Gibson announced in the June 26 evening newscast. But just a week earlier, the same network’s morning show rallied to an anti-food industry group’s complaint against Starbucks.
“Daily cups of coffee have been linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, gallstones, and especially Type 2 Diabetes,” reporter John McKenzie noted on “World News Tonight,” adding that “drinking four cups of coffee a day” of eight ounces each, “is associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.”
Seven days earlier, ABC was warning frequent trips to the local coffee bar could prove deadly.
In a June 19 segment on “Good Morning America,” ABC’s Elisabeth Leamy showcased the complaints of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a liberal anti-food industry group that is taking KFC to court over the oil it uses to fry chickens.
On that program, ABC substitute anchor Kate Snow portrayed CSPI as a “consumer” group while reporter Leamy left unchecked CSPI director Michael Jacobson’s loaded rhetoric, such as accusing Starbucks of selling doughnuts cooked with a “killer substance.”
On June 21, CBS also took jabs at Big Java, worrying about teenagers becoming addicted to the brewed beverage. But in her report on the “Early Show,” reporter Susan McGinnis didn’t mention any studies which point to benefits of regular coffee drinking.
