Posted on 03/30/2003 5:41:40 PM PST by tgslTakoma
Dear Richard,I hope you have seen that we have severed our realtionship with Arnett and that you'll take a look at our programming.
Neal Shapiro
President
NBC News
tgslTakoma: WTG! I was thrilled to hear he was fired this morning and equally intrigued at the replies that awaited me in my inbox this afternoon. Everything to NBC bounced, MSNBC has not responded. My text was:
Dear Sir,
There is a reason NBC is barely a blip on the radar screen when it comes to news ratings. It is because of the anti-American bilge it spews.
I caught a clip of Peter Arnett's interview for Iraqi TV. His outrageous statements were for one purpose only- to give aid and comfort to America's enemy. In a more sane age this kind of thing would be named treason.
I don't care what your bias is regarding the war, but I do care about the safety of our troops and the speedy end of this conflict. Arnett's stunt will only serve to fuel the Iraqi propaganda machine and prolong the conflict- ultimately causing more death on both sides.
Your failure to repudiate Arnett puts you in the same class as Iraqi TV- the very network that produced the footage of the POWs and the executed soldiers, the very network that defends a barbarous dictator who hangs children for accepting humanitarian aid.
Yes, there is a reason NBC is going down the tubes. It's because Americans- the real kind who vote and pray and go to potlucks- are tired of your smarmy, elitist spin.
You've shown your true quality. Don't be surprised if your advertisers start to balk.
With great disgust,
To Nat'l Geographic I wrote:
Dear Sir,
I am truly appalled at the outrageous interview Peter Arnett gave this evening to the same "news" organization that filmed the barbaric footage of our executed soldiers and POWs. His statements gave aid and comfort to an enemy that hangs children for accepting humanitarian aid. Arnett's stunt will not stop this war- it will only serve the Iraqi propaganda machine and prolong the conflict causing more death on both sides.
Regardless of your personal opinions or National Geographic's position on the war in Iraq, his anti-American behavior paints you and your organization in an abominable light.
I grew up with National Geographic magazine and have tolerated its deterioration for many years. Your failure to repudiate Peter Arnett will guarantee that my children will be raised in a home in which your magazine and specials will be proudly absent.
Horrified,
To their credit, approx half of the Geographic bigwigs answered- probably a massive cut-and-paste job and nothing personal. They all referred to NGS's rather curt statement they released this morning. Here is a representative reply:
National Geographic has received voluminous e-mail correspondence today regarding Peter Arnett, which will require some time to process. We appreciate your patience as we work our way through it. In the meantime, we did want to make sure you were aware of the decision to fire Mr. Arnett.
Here is the statement we released this morning.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STATEMENT REGARDING PETER ARNETT
National Geographic fires Peter Arnett National Geographic has terminated the service of Peter Arnett. The Society did not authorize or have any prior knowledge of Arnett's television interview with Iraqi television, and had we been consulted, would not have allowed it. His decision to grant an interview and express his personal views on state-controlled Iraqi television, especially during a time of war, was a serious error in judgment and wrong.
I guess I'm not surprised that Nat'l Geographic outclassed NBC both in the fact they replied and the amount of distance they put between him and them. All in all, it's very satisfying to win one for a change. When will you start the email campaign to John Ashcroft to try Benedict Arnett?
And THANKS for the post. Until your note there, I had NO IDEA that Natl Geographic cut him loose too ! . . .
Arnett has been hired by UK's Times Mirror ! . . .
I think the emails from FReepers and lurkers (pat yourselves on the back, guys and gals, for a job well done!) that swamped the personal boxes of the NBC execs and the National Geographic Society gave these guys (especially the limosine-liberal elites at NBC) the message that Americans most certainly DO support our troops, and most certainly support the administration's agenda in Iraq (to remove Saddam from power and to liberate the Iraqi people from the murderers in Saddam's regime).
[Next?]
How 'bout you pick the next target.
;-)
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