Draft of my CNN BLITZ letter (sorry, it's long). Critique, please

[zuzu98]

To: CNN

I have been watching CNN coverage of the 2004 Presidential campaign and wish to express my dismay at the overwhelmingly conservative slant to your coverage. Everything from ‘teaser’ headlines, the content of news stories and the words used by your employees (I hesitate to call them journalists or reporters) are clearly biased toward the right. They never bypass an opportunity to mischaracterize or distort the message of Democratic candidates while showing video of Bush/Cheney statements (thereby preventing their words from being twisted and giving them additional airtime). Your network and other media outlets have become nothing more than enablers of the Bush Administration’s efforts to mislead and fool the American public. A few examples:

Poll Numbers

Poll numbers showing a lead for Kerry are described as “slight” or “within the margin of error,” while similar numbers showing Bush ahead are called “leads” and “holding an advantage over Kerry.” Your entire network perpetuated the “Kerry didn’t get a bounce from the convention” lie: the undecideds only make up approximately 10% of likely voters – exactly how big a bounce was Kerry supposed to get?

Convention Coverage

Your coverage of the Democratic National Convention was laughable. You did nothing more than use the convention as ‘set dressing’ for paid conservative commentators and Republican political operatives to promote their agenda. Will your coverage of the Republican National Convention is similar? Will you have almost exclusively liberal and Democratic commentators? Will you discuss only their Talking Points without giving any Republicans/conservatives an opportunity to respond? Will you unquestioningly accept their “spin?” Will you have a token conservative on to demonstrate your “balance,” but then never allow him/her to speak?

Anti-Kerry Smear Campaigns

To his credit, Aaron Brown has refused to cover this story. The rest of your network, however, has more than made up for his journalistic integrity. Every story takes pains to re-play the ad – free airtime for this destructive, right-wing smear! Apparently no one on your staff has either the energy or competence to do any investigation into this group. Could you not do a story about the funding for this group coming from Republicans? Could you challenge any of their assertions or lack of documentation or contradictory statements in the past? Why haven’t any of your employees pressured the White House and the Bush campaign to condemn these ads? Did any of your reporters ask the SwiftBoat Vets about George Bush’s Vietnam service? Which brings me to:

No comparable coverage of Bush’s Vietnam whereabouts

You network hasn’t spent 1/10th the amount of time you’ve devoted to the SwiftBoat liars talking about (dare I say “investigating” or “reporting”) George Bush’s murky record in the Air National Guard during Vietnam. Nor have you challenged Bush’s completely unsubstantiated assertions that he “fulfilled his obligations.” Why is that?

What you’re not covering while you shill for the Bush/Cheney campaign:

A Budget deficit nearing $400 billion (and while I’m at it, why do you let Bush get away with saying “I inherited a recession?”)

VP Cheney cut many defense programs as Secretary of Defense, now he is criticizing Kerry for voting against military programs? Why do you not challenge him on this?

Bush campaigned in 2000 on his ability to create 7 million jobs and get OPEC to lower oil prices. To watch your network, one would think he had fulfilled those promises…

Why don’t you tell your viewers about the financial burdens imposed on cities & towns by Bush’s frequent invitation-only FUNDRAISERS?

The Bush Administration’s repeat offending regarding the disclosure of undercover intelligence operatives for political purposes?

Please be aware that many of us are tired of your abandonment of even minimal journalistic standards. We will not watch your network and we will make our displeasure known to your sponsors – both in writing and by not purchasing their products and services.

Sincerely,

[DeepModem Mom]

1. The best I've read, zuzu! Right on -- I wouldn't change a thing --

n/t

[liberalnurse]

2. Nice tone....

not radical....a few mis-spelled/grammatical errors.....You want the word your, not you in the paragraph about Swift- Boats.....

Use I and not we in the conclusion. ...You could elude to how you are sharing this, discussion these issues with peers who are also disgusted with their "Miserable Failure" as journalist.


This is what we need to do...24/7


Beautiful.... :toast:

[quaoar]

3. If you send that letter as it is

You will be written off as a crank or it will be seen as part of an organized partisan campaign. Either way it will be tossed in the trash.

It's not what you say, but how you say it. You also try to cover too many bases. Your letter would be much more effective if it picked one particular topic and hammered it home. And get rid of the cheap shots (I hesitate to call them reporters or journalists). The idea is to get them to seriously think about what you are saying. By attacking them you give them an excuse to write you off as a crank.

[Nite Owl]

4. It's excellent.

One point that I am going to make also is that we desire no bias. The truth is enough and that's all we ask for. It's their public duty to provide the public with truthful and complete information or declare themselves something other than a news organization.

[zuzu98]

5. Can I steal your last two sentences?

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Nite Owl]

8. Go right ahead.

[Stew225]

6. way to go!!!!! I've been writing to those bastards for

the last month. We need more to follow suit.

[mcar]

7. This is excellent

Well written, point by point, shows actual examples.

It must have felt good to write it!

[Celeborn Skywalker]

9. Excellent

although I would omit the lines about not calling them reporters. They'll write you off as another crazed liberal. Otherwise the letter was perfect.

[zuzu98]

10. THANK YOU!!!

Thank all of you for your input. I've shortened it, taken all the fun stuff out & made the changes several of you suggested.