NPR Says No to Antigay Maine Ad

An antigay political group has used content from an NPR story that aired in September 2004 to advocate for a people's veto of the new Maine marriage equality law, the Portland Press-Herald reports. The ad, which started airing October 16, uses audio from the story titled "Massachusetts Schools Grapple With Including Gay and Lesbian Relationships in Sex Education" and suggests that Maine kindergarten-aged children could be taught about gay sex.

"NPR did not license use of this story or its content, and would certainly not have licensed or permitted it if we had been asked," said Dana Davis Rehm, NPR's senior vice president for marketing, communications, and external relations, in a statement. "NPR is a highly respected news organization and does not allow its content to be used by political or advocacy groups. Such use is harmful to the integrity and independence of NPR. NPR does allow -- even encourage -- personal, noncommercial use of our content, so long as it is not modified, and not used in a manner that suggests NPR promotes or endorses a cause, idea, website, product, or service. The use made by Stand for Marriage Maine violated all of these terms."

Rehm has also requested that YouTube take down the ad, and sent a cease-and-desist notice to the ad agency that created the spot.

Scott Fish, a Stand for Marriage Maine spokesman, said, "Once we've had a chance to digest it, we will issue a response."

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