Saturday, October 26, 2024

Final triumph of money over journalism


Email to  Alabama TV stations and Alabama journalism professors
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Susana Schuler <susana.schuler@hearst.com>; brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com <brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com>; jama.killingsworth@waff.com <jama.killingsworth@waff.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>; Kay Norred <knorred@wvua23.com>; rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; dwingard@wsfa.com <dwingard@wsfa.com>; news@mynbc15.com <news@mynbc15.com>; randy.merrow@fox10tv.com <randy.merrow@fox10tv.com>; gmcdonald@waka.com <gmcdonald@waka.com>; comments@abc3340.com <comments@abc3340.com>; newstip@abc3340.com <newstip@abc3340.com>; wvtm13@wvtm.com <wvtm13@wvtm.com>; dlamb@cbs42.com <dlamb@cbs42.com>; mnelson@ua.edu <mnelson@ua.edu>; alfranks@uab.edu <alfranks@uab.edu>; jzb0124@auburn.edu <jzb0124@auburn.edu>; mcarey@samford.edu <mcarey@samford.edu>; cofieldj@montevallo.edu <cofieldj@montevallo.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 05:06:28 AM CDT
Subject: Final triumph of money over journalism
Dear Alabama TV stations and Alabama journalism professors:
In the final battle against Donald J. Trump, the final triumph of money over journalism needs recording.
A start is the opinion piece of Robert Reich "Cowardice and intimidation at The Washington Post and L.A. Times is how fascism takes root | Opinion", which is posted atposted at Cowardice and intimidation at The Washington Post and L.A. Times is how fascism takes root | Opinion
I hope Robert Reich's opinion piece contributes to your soul searching about the triumph of money over journalism at Alabama TV stations and/or about other explanations for Alabama TV stations' failures in America's final battle against Donald J. Trump.
Thank you.
[for filing in https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2024/10/final-triumph-of-money-over-journalism.html]

For a couple of years I have been critical about shortcomings of Alabama TV stations in the performance of their journalistic obligations.
The Radio Television Digital News Association's code of ethics sets out those obligations in the following way:
Journalism’s obligation is to the public. Journalism places the public’s interests ahead of commercial, political and personal interests. Journalism empowers viewers, listeners and readers to make more informed decisions for themselves; it does not tell people what to believe or how to feel. https://www.rtdna.org/ethics
The foregoing is a very high standard for journalistic ethics, and may be impossible of full attainment.
As high as the standard is, it would seem at least call for Alabama TV stations to evaluate themselves, what their shortcomings are, and decide whether they should try to make improvements in the performance of their journalistic obligations.
I have put forth a number of criticisms. Examples include these links:
I have concluded that either the business and political interests of the TV stations have hindered them from fulfilling their journalistic obligations in a reasonably satisfactory way, or the TV stations do not have qualified staff capable of performing at the journalistic level that is called for. I think the shortcomings are so great that the TV stations ought to acknowledge to their viewers that the viewers should not consider themselves, in the words of the above code of ethics,  "empower[ed]  to make [reasonably] informed decisions for themselves."
The TV stations by and large have been unresponsive to my criticisms. They have neither put forth a defense of their performances of their journalistic obligations nor acknowledged the shortcomings in their performance of their journalistic obligations.

More recently
Email to Alabama TV stations re Judy Woodruff's America at a Crossroads project
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Susana Schuler <susana.schuler@hearst.com>; brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com <brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com>; jama.killingsworth@waff.com <jama.killingsworth@waff.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>; Kay Norred <knorred@wvua23.com>; rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; dwingard@wsfa.com <dwingard@wsfa.com>; news@mynbc15.com <news@mynbc15.com>; randy.merrow@fox10tv.com <randy.merrow@fox10tv.com>; gmcdonald@waka.com <gmcdonald@waka.com>; comments@abc3340.com <comments@abc3340.com>; newstip@abc3340.com <newstip@abc3340.com>; wvtm13@wvtm.com <wvtm13@wvtm.com>; dlamb@cbs42.com <dlamb@cbs42.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 09:32:03 AM CDT
Subject: Judy Woodruff's America at a Crossroads challenge to Alabama TV stations
Dear Alabama TV stations:
Monday night on PBS, more than 50 Wisconsin voters joined PBS News special correspondent Judy Woodruff for a town hall event in Milwaukee, as part of her America at a Crossroads reporting project, which has been exploring political polarization across the country. This past Monday night's event can be viewed at this time at Crossroads: A Conversation with America – A PBS News Special | PBS News.
Can or cannot Alabama TV stations be inspired to do and televise focus group conversations with Alabamians between now and Election Day?
Here's hoping.
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook

A crazy idea for the next 10 days
MSNBC and/or CNN should offer to FOX that the networks, whose regular programming is for their commentators and hosts to do day long talking that is biased towards the political side the network supports, that the networks change their programming so that commentators and hosts from one network have discussions with commentators and hosts from the opposing network. Some such mixed conversations would be on MSNBC or CNN and some mixed conversations would be on FOX.
The offer, of course, could be made the other way from FOX to MSNBC and/or CNN.

Email to Joyce Vance and Neal Katyal re crazy idea
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Joyce Vance <jvance@law.ua.edu>; Neal K. Katyal <neal.katyal@hoganlovells.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 04:39:43 PM CDT
Subject: A crazy idea for the next 10 days
Dear Joyce and Neal,
I am emailing you this because the two of you have contacts at MSNBC and/or CNN that you could pass this crazy idea along to, if you think the crazy idea is actually a good idea for MSNBC and/or CNN to consider.
The crazy idea is this:
MSNBC and/or CNN would offer to FOX that the networks, whose regular programming is for their respective commentators and hosts to do day long talking that is biased towards the political side the networks respectively support (Harris in the case of MSNBC and CNN, and Trump in the case of FOX), that the networks change their programming so that commentators and hosts from one network have discussions with commentators and hosts from the opposing network. Some of the mixed discussions would be on MSNBC or CNN and some mixed discussions would be on FOX.
If MSNBC and/or CNN makes the offer to FOX, and FOX declines, I think a lot of hay could be made about that by MSNBC and CNN, not to mention the hay that could be made by the Harris campaign.
I hope you think this is a cool idea.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck

Email to Professor Jonathan Turley
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: jturley@law.gwu.edu <jturley@law.gwu.edu>
Cc: Joyce Vance <jvance@law.ua.edu>; Neal K. Katyal <neal.katyal@hoganlovells.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 07:24:48 PM CDT
Subject: Who's got it right re "threat to democracy"?
Dear Professor Turley,
Yesterday, I copied you on an email that I sent to George Washington University economics professors, which email borrowed from your "Panic Politics: The Press and Pundits Face Devastating Polls on the Threat to Democracy" column in the New York Post, in which column you say the "American voter has a certain innate resistance to being played as a chump." Panic Politics: The Press and Pundits Face Devastating Polls on the Threat to Democracy – JONATHAN TURLEY.
Further you had amplification of your column by means of an appearance on Fox and Friends. .Democrats’ ‘panic politics’ over democracy borders on ‘constitutional defamation,’ legal expert warns | Fox News Video.)
Today I sent the below email to Joyce Vance and Neal Katyal urging that MSNBC and/or CNN offer to FOX that the networks do special programming during the next 10 days in which commentators and hosts from one network would have discussions with commentators and hosts from the opposing network. Some of the mixed discussions would be on MSNBC or CNN and some mixed discussions would be on FOX.
Just think how great it would be for American democracy if, say, Joe Scarborough and Sean Hannity had a debate about the 2024 Presidential election, and if you and Neal Katyal had a debate about who is a threat to democracy, and, if other MSNBC and CNN hosts and commentators had discussions with FOX hosts and commentators, conducted variously on MSNBC or CNN and on FOX. The object of such mixed debates and discussions would be to increase the hearing by American voters of both sides, instead of American voters hearing of only one side.
Would or would not that be great for American democracy, Professor Turley?
I can only hope you and Joyce Vance and Neal Katyal may have telephone conversations about this, and then put forth the idea to your and their contacts at FOX, MSNBC and CNN.
Three hip, hip, hoorays, for a better functioning American democracy, Professor Turley.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL

Email sending Vance, Katyal and Turley emails to AL TV stations and journalism professors
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Susana Schuler <susana.schuler@hearst.com>; brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com <brendan.kirby@fox10tv.com>; jama.killingsworth@waff.com <jama.killingsworth@waff.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>; Kay Norred <knorred@wvua23.com>; rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; dwingard@wsfa.com <dwingard@wsfa.com>; news@mynbc15.com <news@mynbc15.com>; randy.merrow@fox10tv.com <randy.merrow@fox10tv.com>; gmcdonald@waka.com <gmcdonald@waka.com>; comments@abc3340.com <comments@abc3340.com>; newstip@abc3340.com <newstip@abc3340.com>; wvtm13@wvtm.com <wvtm13@wvtm.com>; dlamb@cbs42.com <dlamb@cbs42.com>; mnelson@ua.edu <mnelson@ua.edu>; alfranks@uab.edu <alfranks@uab.edu>; jzb0124@auburn.edu <jzb0124@auburn.edu>; mcarey@samford.edu <mcarey@samford.edu>; cofieldj@montevallo.edu <cofieldj@montevallo.edu>
Cc: Joyce Vance <jvance@law.ua.edu>; Neal K. Katyal <neal.katyal@hoganlovells.com>; jturley@law.gwu.edu <jturley@law.gwu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 04:13:18 AM CDT
Subject: A redeeming action by Alabama TV stations re 2024 Presidential election


Dear Alabama TV stations and journalism professors,


Following up on the email I sent you yesterday regarding "Final triumph of money over journalism," I urge you to please review the below emails I sent yesterday to Joyce Vance, Neal Katyal and Jonathan Turley, who are engaged in the "threat to democracy" issue on the national cable news platforms of MSNBC, CNN and FOX.


Then, ask yourselves about the crazy idea for the next 10 days that is the subject of the emails.


If you say, yes, we Alabama TV stations and journalism professors want to yell three "hip, hip, hoorays" for the better functioning of American democracy, please use your contacts with national cable news (or your contacts who have contacts with national cable news) to urge the carrying out by MSNBC, CNN and FOX of the crazy idea in question.


Thank you very much.
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