An Open Letter to Ms. Susan Roesgen (CNN)
Some May Call it Reporting; I Don't!
It is possible that you will never read this e-mail. And in my humble opinion, that's too bad. Because, I, too, am involved in news reporting, although not in a formal, salaried position, such as yours.
I attended a tea party in Naples, FL on April 15. Why? Because I am concerned about many aspects of what is occurring in this country. And I wanted to be part of something positive. From what I could see, people who attended did just that. They voiced their concerns, fears and uncertainty about where this country is going.
We were not right wing extremists; we were not far right-wingers (I'm actually a registered Democrat and have been so for 40 plus years). But, I still question the government - Republican and Democrat - because they need to be monitored. It's not my right, but rather my responsibility. Just because the government or the news media (CNN, NBC or Fox) says something does not mean that I must believe it (at least not until the Ministry of Truth is officially installed in Washington).
But you (and others in the mainstream media) have orchestrated a reporting bias that has destroyed what the media should be doing. You and many of your counterparts did this in the recent presidential election process, with climate change, and other hot button issues. Now you are doing it with our tea parties. You should be the governmental watchdog. Instead you are its pet. You should be the honest source of information. Instead you have an agenda. You should tell the truth. Instead you spin information to satisfy your or someone else's unwritten goals.
Your report the other day, involving the concerned father and the peaceful crowd behind him, made me sad to call you part of the industry that folks such as Ernie Pyle raised to high standards. What you did was NOT news, it was commentary presented as news.
If we, the people, want to urge governmental officials to resign for malpractice and malfeasance, I believe we have the right to ask you to do the same. I am doing that via this letter.
Regardless, if perchance you do read this, please note that I would be willing to discuss this matter personally and professionally with you or others at CNN at any time. I would even travel to Atlanta or Chicago (your operational base) at my own expense to do this.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
H. Michael "Mike" Mogil
P.S. This letter was e-mailed to Ms. Roesgen (susan.roesgen@turner.com) and her boss, Mr. Phil Kent (phil.kent@turner.com) at CNN on April 17, 2009.
Published by H. Michael Mogil
I'm a meteorologist by education, a math tutor (and educational advocate) by chance, and a writer (including science, travel, home improvement and consumerism) by choice. Once upon a time I couldn't write w... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentThanks to all of you who commented on my letter. I appreciate your comments (again, even I don't agree with them all). But, when name calling starts (from any part of the political landscape), that's when I know debate, collaboration and efforts for the good of the Nation are impossible.
I am working on another story (from my meteorological background). It will address "climate change." I look forward to your comments on that once I finish it.
Again, thanks for commenting.
"M"
I'm an Independent. I don't believe in everything the Conservatives or Liberals do. I also did not agree with everything the people at the tea parties said (though I did agree with some of it). I did not attend a tea party that day, but I clapped when I saw on tv how many people showed up. It's good to hear from the "other side"....usually it's just the Bush-haters and the anti-war people. But I was appalled at the coverage by the media. I knew MSNBC would dis it, but I couldn't believe the "unbiased" news organizations would not only dismiss it, but make fun of the people who attended the parties. The last straw, however, was when Pelosi called it Astroturf and dismissed it. (I believe the whole tea party thing started during the Bush administration.) I'm so mad at our government and the media.....I can't tell you! And I wasn't even a part of the protest! How can they just dismiss thousands of Americans??? I think you'll draw a lot of people to your side now....not because
As an American who love's this country I have always tried to look at both sides of the many issues confronting us. Unfortunately, I take a skeptical view of what is said or written by any of the news outlets including Fox, CNN MSNBC ect.... The obvious bias shown by your reporters recently at the Tea Party protests in Chicago is unacceptable it is for a journalist to become a left-wing activist in trying to defame and denounce a legitimate and honest political movement by Americans who are being robbed blind by our government and spent into a debt from which will be unimaginably difficult to ever pay off.
And as for Anderson Cooper in particular to refer to this protest to what is apparently some sort of "sexual act" ie "teabagging" ???????
What ?? Is CNN, total idiots?
These people should be fired, period
It is important to speak up about how we feel reporters are doing their job.
Dittos Mike, except the travel part - you have far more faith than I that speaking to these people will make a difference. I am Conservative, and the hatred and unfairness you are writing about is what we put up with in every single aspect of mainstream media reporting, and in fact, the disdain, dismissal and misrepresentations are par for the course as to how the Left feels about Conservatives, and how they treat us in most interactions.
Good letter and good concept. We all SHOULD be holding the media responsible for what they report. I read some reports, written by republicans, that said the tea parties were all very peaceful and quiet and compared them with the extremist left running amok, such as students at a conference where one broke a window and others shouted out insults. I have read accounts of the tea parties by democrats who said there were wild right-wingers running amok, becoming violent. Wouldn't it be nice to get back to where you could read just the facts in the articles?
Good job and please print whatever response you get! I'll be interested to see what they say.