Posted on 03/27/2003 9:31:33 AM PST by Peacerose
On March 17, the Media Research Center released an extensive study of ABC World News Tonight's reporting practices. They reviewed 234 stories from January 1 through March 7. Their findings offer disturbing evidence of an anti-American undercurrent that pervades their news broadcasts. As the MRC states in their report, ABC News "failed its promise to serve the American people as an independent and objective observer, offering straight facts and letting the people decide. Instead, ABC employed a dangerous double standard - harshly criticizing the Bush administration and its policies, but failing to extend that same tough critical standard to other actors in this political crisis, from congressional Democrats, to UN bureaucrats, to skeptical allies like France, and even to the dictatorship in Iraq."
This report demonstrated that, although CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News have offered fairly balanced reporting on the Iraqi crisis, Peter Jennings and ABC World News Tonight took a decidedly biased approach toward the "arrogant power" of the United States. Four serious problem areas were found:
Championing France and the United Nations over the U.S. - ABC News constantly questioned the Bush Administration's motives for war and lack of respect for the 'peacemaking' efforts of France and the U.N. No such scrutiny was applied to France or the U.N.
"While the American Public grow more convinced every day of the need for war, they have not arrived at that opinion through objective reporting from ABC's World News Tonight that demonstrated faith in letting the American people decide for themselves. Inside, Instead, ABC's evening news team, led by anchor Peter Jennings, has scorned the notion of balance, lobbying the American people by favoring and highlighting information suggesting that war is unjustified, unnecessary, undiplomatic, and unwise. One hopes that their coverage of the conflict itself will be more balanced." - excerpt from Executive Summary, MRC Special Report, "Peter's Peace Platoon: ABC's Crusade Against 'Arrogant' American Power"
The Media Research Center offered four recommendations whereby Peter Jennings and ABC World News Tonight could correct their course and recover a measure of balance in their reporting. They are as follows:
Please join CCRM in demanding that ABC News make these recommended corrections. Below is the contact information.
ABC
77 West 66th Street
New York, New York 10023
Phone 212-456-4040
Fax 212-456-2795
Sample letter - Print; Copy & Paste; or re-write in your own words. Be sure to sign, date and include your return address (or email address if emailing).
ABC World News Tonight would like us to believe that these are just ordinary folks. How many ordinary folks do you know who feel this way? How many ordinary folks do you know who would carry a sign like this?
Sample letter - Print; Copy & Paste; or re-write in your own words. Be sure to sign, date and include your return address (or email address if emailing). Also, if you would, please cc: response@fairpress.org. This will give us some idea of our impact, as you can bet ABC News will never admit anyone complained.
Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media (CCRM) is the Free Republic Network media bias chapter. You are invited to visit our web site at www.fairpress.org.
There are huge numbers of people out there who have been watching in sick disbelief as Peter Jennings and ABC intentionally work to undermine America's war effort.
Let's mobilize them.
I had to do it.
Here is what I sent:
I have, only today, become aware of an effort by the Citizens Coalition for a Responsible Media to attempt to impact what they perceive as a decidedly anti-American tone to the news, as presented by the ABC network.
They had requested that I contact you change the way you present news to accomplish the following:
1. Reporters should seek a balance of arguments and a balance of skepticism in covering both the United States and allies and international organizations.
2. Untrustworthy enemy claims should not be given equal weight with the statements of American officials.
3. The American people deserve a fuller picture of the "peace" movement.
4. The American people deserve a fuller picture of network polls.
However, I would request that you stay the course.
Due to your undisguised slanting of all reports, in a way that denigrates the United States and/or the Bush Administration, I have already resolved to ensure that the ABC network, is never watched in our household, during any portion of the broadcast day.
I am certain that many feel as I do, and that your decisions to become a propaganda arm for anti-American interests will ultimately cause your viewership to fall precipitously. Hopefully, this will cause the bankruptcy of your corporation.
The benefit of this, of course, is that all of the stock options contained in your executives’ compensation plans will ultimately become worthless.
I desire such an outcome.
I pray that you continue exercising, to the fullest, your Freedom of the Press.
In turn, I shall exercise, to the fullest, my right to ignore your obvious propaganda, while persuading others to do the same.
So, by all means, keep Peter Jennings right where you have him, and keep your editorial focus right where it is.
Whatever you do, do not buckle to the pressures being brought by Citizens Coalition for a Responsible Media.
Sincerely,
steve in DC
The questioning at the recent CHICOM press confereences proves this beyond all reasonable.
Anybody who chooses to continue to live in a state of denial about all of this needs brain surgery really badly.
Bump for CCRM!!!!!
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