The defamation trial between Beef Products Incorporated and ABC News continues at the Union County Courthouse in Elk Point. The Dakota Dunes-based meat company argues ABC and network correspondent Jim Avila disparaged its lean, finely textured beef product by using the term 'pink slime.' Jurors have heard testimony from several witnesses in the agriculture and media industries so far. Earlier this week, they heard a deposition from one of ABC's most well-known journalists. SDPB's Jeremy Ludemann reports on what Diane Sawyer said about the network's reporting.
Sawyer served as anchor of ABC World News tonight from 2006 to 2014. Prior to her time with that program, she anchored Good Morning America on ABC and served as the first female correspondent on the CBS program 60 Minutes.
In March and April of 2012, Sawyer introduced the news stories at the center of the case. She testifed that she did not report the story in the field, but that she did ask questions about the reporting.
During a videotape deposition, she stands behind the reporting by the network and correspondent Jim Avila. "I read the script, and it seemed to be...it seemed to be absolutely factual and fair...and read to me as credible reporting on this issue and raising an important issue," Sawyer said.
When asked by BPI attorney Dan Webb, Sawyer said she believed her statements on-air and through her Facebook page were truthful.
First Circuit Court Judge Cheryle Gering dismissed Sawyer from the lawsuit in February. Gering is presiding over this case. In addition to Sawyer, jurors have heard from several producers with the network and heard a deposition from Jim Avila yesterday. Avila is a codefendant with ABC in the case.
BPI is claiming almost $2 billion in actual damages. That figure could be tripled under the South Dakota Agricultural Food Products Disparagement Act.