Berlin Mill Complains About Newspaper Coverage

ON FRIDAY, P-P-A'S PLANT MANAGER, JAMES WAGNER, CALLED EDITORS AT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN AND THE MANCHESTER UNION LEADER, ASKING THEM TO PROVIDE THE NAMES OF THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL AND THEIR LIABILITY INSURANCE PROVIDERS. IN A MESSAGE LEFT ON AN ANSWERING MACHINE AT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN, WAGNER SAID HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF ARTICLES IN THE PAPER. HE ADDED QUOTE
"THESE ARTICLES HAVE CAUSED EXTREME HARDSHIP FOR P-P-A IN DEALING WITH ITS VENDORS AND INVESTORS. P-P-A HAS ASKED ITS OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE VARIOUS ALLEGATIONS IN YOUR NEWSPAPER'S ARTICLES TO DETERMINE WHAT ACTIONS P-P-A SHOULD TAKE."
BERLIN DAILY SUN PUBLISHER MARK GUERRINGUE (GUR-RAIN) SAYS THE PAPER COMPLIED WITH WAGNER'S REQUEST, BUT SAYS HE DOESN?T KNOW WHAT WAGNER IS TALKING ABOUT.

TAPE GUERRINGUE: you have to presume that they're considering some sort of libel action. But, I mean I really can't read into it any more than that. I mean it's not a, it's not a very help -- doesn't help the situation. It's not exactly PR 101. You don't threaten people who are covering you, unless there's something - unless there's some merit there. And there just doesn't seem to be any merit. We don't even - never mind the merit of a libel case, we don't even know of any errors we've made.

THE UNION LEADER HAD A SIMILAR RESPONSE. EDITOR CHARLES PERKINS TOLD NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO - QUOTE - "AT NO POINT HAS THE COMPANY SUGGESTED THAT ANYTHING WRITTEN IN THE UNION LEADER CONCERNING P-P-A IS IN ANY WAY INACCURATE. WE HAVE RECEIVED NO REQUESTS FOR CORRECTIONS, MAJOR OR MINOR."
PLANT MANAGER JAMES WAGNER CONFIRMS THAT HE LEFT THE MESSAGES, BUT REFERRED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT INACCURACIES HE WAS ALLUDING TO TO P-P-A'S PARENT COMPANY, NEW YORK BASED AMERICAN TISSUE. A SPOKESMAN FOR AMERICAN TISSUE REFUSED COMMENT.
BERLIN DAILY SUN PUBLISHER MARK GUERRINGUE (GUR-RAIN) SAYS THAT REFUSAL FITS THE USUAL PATTERN.

TAPE GUERRINGUE in fact we generally have a difficult time getting any response out of them. Jim Wagner, who's the general manager here at the mill refers questions to their corporate public relations person. A lot of times we just don't get a response.

GUERRINGUE SAYS HIS PAPER WILL CONTINUE TO COVER PULP AND PAPER OF AMERICA AGGRESSIVELY. HE CALLS TALK OF INACCURATE REPORTING A SIDESHOW.

TAPE GUERRINGUE maybe that's their motive, is to distract the real issues here. But this is hugely important to the well being and future of Berlin. And my recommendation is that they should put their effort into communicating with the city more effectively.

MEANWHILE, GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN IS ON HER WAY TO NEW YORK, TO DISCUSS P-P-A'S FUTURE WITH AMERICAN TISSUE OFFICIALS. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I'M DOUG MACPHERSON.