Posted on 03/02/2003 9:48:13 AM PST by jmstein7
The media has been intentionally ignoring Pro-U.S. protests, rallies, and events. Please cut-and-paste this open letter to the media and email it to the media at the addresses below.
____________________________________________________________
An Open Letter To The Media
I am writing to express my dismay at your refusal to give visible news coverage to anti-anti-war, or pro-U.S., protests and rallies. It is both intellectually dishonest and further evidence of media bias against certain groups and sentiments.
Fox News has been continually derided as biased or pro-conservative. However, Fox News is, in reality, simply the only media outlet that gives fair coverage to both sides of any given issue. Once again, they are the only media outlet giving visible coverage to pro-U.S. protests and rallies across the U.S. and internationally.
Domestically, there have been a growing number of pro-U.S. protests and rallies taking place all over the country. You have either intentionally or negligently not given these burgeoning rallies the visible coverage they deserve. Internationally, there have been MASSIVE pro-U.S. protests that have gone virtually unnoticed by you; e.g. on Saturday, March 1, there was a pro-U.S. protest 300,000 strong in South Korea that you simply blacked out.
Additionally, your news stories have simply reported your awe of the frequency and magnitude of the anti-war protests. This is not journalism. As fair journalists, you need to ask the hard questions. Who are these anti-war protestors? What really motivates them? There have been allegations that these protests are simply being systematically organized and scripted as vehicles to smear the President. There have been allegations that these rallies are being organized by resurgent communist groups. The public needs to know the answers to these and other questions, and it is your job as the media to get the answers. You are not doing your job; you are doing a public disservice.
Your silence is dramatic and indefensible and not becoming of an alleged objective media. The facts suggest a media-wide agenda or conspiracy, intentional or unintentional, to paint the people of the United States and the world as a growing united front against war. This is untrue and intellectually dishonest. Do not let the people down by abdicating your responsibility to provide fair, balanced, comprehensive coverage without bowing to political sentiment. Prove your objectivity. Do some investigative journalism and tell the people the truth behind the anti-war protests. Additionally, be fair and give equal, visible coverage to the pro-U.S. rallies. Only then will you be meeting your mandate as set fourth in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
____________________________________________________________
Use "The Media" as the subject, or use any other subject you want.
Cut and paste these email addresses as recipients for the email:
letters@newsweek.com; letters@time.com; conedit@ajc.com; letters@baltsun.com; letter@globe.com; news@globe.com; letterstoeditor@bostonherald.com; opinion@charlotte.com; letters@suntimes.com; news@cleveland.com; letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com; letters@denverpost.com; business@det-freepress.com; letter@detnews.com; viewpoints@chron.com; letters@latimes.com; HeraldEd@herald.com; politics@startribune.com; letters@newsday.com; letters@nytimes.com; Inquirer.Opinion@phillynews.com; DailyNews.Opinion@phillynews.com; letters@post-gazette.com; letters@uniontrib.com; chronletters@sfgate.com; letters@examiner.com; letters@sjmercury.com; editpage@seattle-pi.com; opinion@seatimes.com; editor@usatoday.com; letter.editor@edit.wsj.com; Letterstoed@washpost.com; wtnews@wt.infi.net; feedback@cnn.com; cnn.onair@cnn.com; crossfire@cnn.com; viewer@c-span.org; colmments@foxnews.com; hardball@cnbc.com; letters@msnbc.com; opinion@msnbc.com; TheNews@msnbc.com; dateline@news.nbc.com; nightly@news.nbc.com; today@news.nbc.com; MTP@nbc.com; speaker@aim.org; takeaction@americasvoice.com; pat@theamericancause.org; cbnonline@cbn.org; viewer@c-span.org; cato@free-market.net; drudge@drudgereport.com; comment@foxnews.com; letter@globe.com; insight@wt.infi.net; jwatch@erols.com; imus@msnbc.com; hq@lp.org; marklevin@aol.com; jacolumn@toto.net; feedback@usatoday.com; editor@dolphin.gulf.net; TalkBack@CNN.com;Reliable@CNN.com;NewsNight@cnn.com; late.edition@cnn.com;InsidePolitics@CNN.com; ConnieChungTonight@CNN.com;Dateline@nbc.com; MTP@nbc.com;today@nbc.com;lauren.kapp@abc.com; oreilly@foxnews.com;special@foxnews.com; hannity@foxnews.com;Nightly@nbc.com;evening@cbsnews.com; Letters@washpost.com;nytnews@nytimes.com; letters@nytimes.com;letters@nypost.com
Now send it!
Thank you for taking the time to take action!
We had 2,000 show up for our rally, braving a thunderstorm to do so. Yet our local paper (Florida Today) only has a text story posted online and no photos. They also mention a peace rally that occurred at the same time drawing only 100. No story there, 20:1 turnout? [I'm going to buy today's edition and will temper my critism with another post, if warranted.]
We had no TV coverage, not even from the cable news channel that purports to be all-local, all the time. The only mention I saw from the Orlando outlets that claim the Space Coast as part of their coverage area was about a much smaller rally in Winter Park. Hey, at least they got some coverage! So to be fair, it isn't a complete blackout, but “buried on page 5” comes to mind.
Does a media outlet have complete editorial control over what they publish? Absolutely. However, the exercise of that control, when tilted towards one point of view, when not exercised dispassionately, is indisputably bias.
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