AN OPEN LETTER

Junk journalism is partly to blame for the sham outcome of Election 2016.  Citing examples of incompetence, I have taken it upon myself to compose a letter which I am putting in the public domain. If you wish to join in protest, please feel free to use the letter below and send to any network of your choosing:

TO THE EXECUTIVES OF CNN, FOX, AND NBC:

A presidential candidate defames minorities, mocks disabled persons, and demeans women.  In a normal world, such misconduct would sink any candidate.  I blame your news network for normalizing the abnormal.

Bombastic and malicious rhetoric earned the candidate an estimated $5.2 billion in free airtime (source: MediaQuant).  Complicit in opportunism, your network reaped a massive ratings windfall.  Suckered by a con artist, you sacrificed objectivity and integrity on the alter of craven self-interest.

A notorious bigot addresses a Trump victory dinner in Washington.  Journalists depart early and miss the Nazi salutes.  Over 700 hate crimes in two weeks go unreported (source: SPLC.  Imbalanced coverage is ethically indefensible and reprehensible.

“It’s not my job to be a truth squad,” disclaims Chris Wallace of Fox News. Nor is it the job of NBC News Correspondent Chuck Todd. Their refusal to discern fact from fiction contradicts the Society of Professional Journalists whose mission statement reads: “Seek the truth and report it.”

I blame you for the shoddy state of broadcast journalism today:

— For outright falsehoods reported as newsworthy events,

— For petty Twitter feeds that distract from meaningful news,

— For panelists comprised of shills and crosstalk without substance,

— For moderators who fail to fact-check competing claims,

— For deceptions and defamations legitimized on a national stage.

When the Fourth Estate abdicates responsibility and surrenders to demagoguery, the politics of malice wins over common decency.  News content should never be calibrated to accommodate sensationalism or political whims de jour.  You failed in your mission to inform the public.  Millions of concerned citizens are outraged.  You have betrayed our trust, and I am determined to hold you accountable.

A free press, a watch dog press, a check against unbridled power will be more vital than ever before. Hold their feet to the fire. Here is a suggested list of addressees (or chose your own):

Jeff Zucker, President

CNN News Worldwide

10 Columbus Circle

New York, New York 10019

Tony Maddox

Executive VP and Managing Director

CNN News Worldwide

One CNN Center

Atlanta, GA, 30303.

Bill Shine, Co-President

Fox News Channel (FNC)

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

Jay Wallace, VP - News Editorial

Fox News Channel (FNC)

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

John Moody, VP and Executive Editor

Fox News Channel (FNC)

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

Steve Burke, President and CEO

NBC Universal News Group

30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10112

Andrew Lack, Chairman

NBC Universal News Group

30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10112