PBS Makes Time for the One Percent

Once upon a time I had the impression that PBS was a more or less center-left outfit. The People\'s channel – taxpayer and volunteer funded, appealing to would-be intellectuals, promoting a cultured citizenry, and whose mandate, I assumed, was to cultivate, to make aware and to encourage the thinking of the educated viewer. Sure, some academics and curmudgeonly old school intellectuals pooh-poohed Masterpiece Theater or whatnot for mid brow pretentiousness or elitist preciousness, but I always thought that Robin McNeil and Nature, the Shakespeare plays and Nova set the tone for the thoughtful, humanistic, vaguely "liberal" (as in liberal arts) sentiment that pervaded PBS.

Of course, that was before the CPB was taken over by Republicans during the Buzsh Administration, when PBS was perennially threatened with draconian funding cuts, and when PBS News went on the defensive and morphed into, essentially, FOX light. During those dark days when war mongers Donald Rumsfeld and Zbigniew Brzezinski were treated as honored guests, when Bill Moyers was the subject of an inquisition and subsequently canned, and I wrote to PBS saying that as a long time contributor, PBS could henceforth count me out; that after some 25 years I no longer cared to watch the News Hour or anything it broadcast except perhaps the occasional "Frontline" which somehow continued in the tradition of thoughtful, critical investigation. But henceforth the News Hour no longer was must see tv.

And now this Paul Solmon piece of October 26 that promotes what Jeffrey Brown called a 'contrarian view' to the issues raised by #OWS and We the 99%ers. That Solmon let pass New York University law school professor Richard Epstein\'s specious claim that "inequality creates an incentive…" was bad enough, but should PBS allow to stand a quote that Epstein claims issued from President Lincoln without correction it would cross the line of journalistic integrity.

That is, it would be unacceptable, indeed a sham, should the PBS News Hour allow to stand as uncorrected a long debunked and misattributed to Abraham Lincoln â┚¬Ã‹Å“quote\' that was used to justify and/or rationalize a position that defends the income inequality Americans have endured over the past 30 years.

Please, PBS, as â┚¬Ã‹Å“you\' are a person/corporation, do yourself a favor and read the comments at the website FAIR: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting [http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4424] Indeed; the very idea that Solmon, a PBS investigative reporter, would present a spokesman who holds a position that defends the 1% against 99% that is We the People as merely the other side in an argument is unacceptable. Is creationism really a viable alternative to Biology? Are climate change deniers really a viable alternative to the mountain of scientific evidence that testifies to its reality? That is not journalism that is obfuscation.

If "The News Hour" has any journalistic decency it will follow the recommendations in this piece and issue a correction; and if it really represented We taxpayers, it would issue a full disclosure. That viewers were not informed that "Epstein is also a director at Global Economics Group, a corporate consulting firm that advises on issues like financial regulation and employment law" may be minor point, unless, that is, corporation capitalism is precisely what is wrong with America, and, as their pr man, Professor Epstein is representing reprehensible views. In which case non disclosure presents a fundamental challenge to the News Hour's integrity as an institution funded by We the People.

I don't waste my time watching PBS NewsHour. Most especialy since PBS has become a corporate sponsored shadow of its former self. I gave up watching PBS long ago.

Fair asked for a copy of my letter- my apologies as this letter was a fast one-

I am ever disappointed of late in the non objective reporting and interviews of PBS. You appear to be promoting a biased view, and in an attempt to appear inclusive, have aired propaganda, nonscientific bunk. PBS/NPR is supposed to have high standards, but I see/ hear you airing /erring too often. You would better serve a public needing to think and have facts by being truthful about the inequality and the bailouts of the banks and wall street, instead of mainstreet- to quote the 99%. I wish to address 3 grievous errors made by public broadcasting:

You attempt to give a balanced view of Palestine and underreport their casualties and peaceful attempts at recognition in favor of pro Zionistic Israel. Where are the discussions of Israel's Peace movement that is against raising Palestinian homes while building up the settlements?

Why even air Creationism, when it is a misrepresentation of facts? PBS/NPR you are behaving as if you were bought or are in fact controlled by right wing influence. Clean up your act. I will not donate to you until you repatriate Bill Moyers- now there is a true unbiased reporter.

I will not donate to PBS or NPR until you rehire the woman who lost her job at NPR for participating in an Occupy Wall St protest-Her job at NPR was neither political nor did she go to the protest during work time.

News Hour could serve the public by exploring the issues brought to the 99% protests, instead of 'white washing' them with more falsehoods that helping line the pockets of industry increases jobs. Garbage! Money handed to industry does not create jobs. Unless there is a demand for goods, availability of goods, and protection against trade inequity, plus protection for workers you will continue to have protests. Getting our country back would be a good thing for you to report on!