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Despite Urgent Requests, PBS Releases "Breaking the Silence"
So the evening of October 20, a group of men gathered outside the headquarters of the Los Angeles PBS affiliate. Armed with signs and a bullhorn, they made it clear that a lot of people were very upset. This is their report:
"We just handed out RADAR's flyers to KCET (PBS) employees in Los Angeles as they entered and exited. We stood out there for two hours with signs. We got lots of honks from cars passing, including a bus driver. The best part was when the KCET van pulled up, bewildered and curious what we were about, and they took a flyer."
Breaking the Silence, which was funded by the Mary Kay Ash Foundation, has been widely criticized by editorialists and others:
* "Balance was sacrificed to the political agenda of the sponsors" (Mike McCormick)
* Reflects an "extremist point of view" (Ned Holstein)
* "Compromise of impartiality violates PBS's own code of ethics" (Mark Rosenthal)
* Promotes an "ideological dogma" (Dean Tong)
* Represents a "direct assault on American fathers" (Jeff Leving and Glenn Sacks)
* Program is "larded with Leftist fantasies and sweeping stereotypes" (Carey Roberts)
The most intensive campaign in the history of the American fatherhood movement is now underway. This effort is being waged at the local, state, and national levels. RADAR invites you to join this break-through campaign.
The foundation of PBS is the hundreds of affiliates around the nation. These affiliates rely heavily on local contributions and community support. So this week, we are asking you to contact your local affiliate. To find your local affiliate:
- Go to http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html and enter your zip code, or
- Look in your local telephone directory
Second, find out whether Breaking the Silence has already been aired, or if not, if the affiliate plans to air it.
Then telephone, e-mail, and/or write the Station Manager with this message:
"Please do not air Breaking the Silence until it can be revised to reflect basic journalistic standards of accuracy, fairness, and balance."
If you have a conversation with an employee, emphasize these two points:
- Disseminating false information about fathers will only hurt, not help abused children.
- Breaking the Silence does not conform to the CPB Code of Ethics which requires PBS to "give the appearance as well as the fact of such impartiality, devotion, and integrity." [http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/cpbethicsguide.pdf]
If the program has already been aired, ask the affiliate to not air it again.
Or take your effort to a higher level. Find a couple other people, print out some copies of RADAR's flyer (Word document), and pass it out in front of your local PBS office (please send a brief report to info-at-mediaradar.org and attach pictures if possible!). Don't make this too complicated - just get out there and have some fun!
Above all, do not come across as a "mad-dad" or send "poison-pen" letters. These only reinforce the worst stereotypes and hurt our cause. Always be polite and reasonable.
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Date of RADAR Release: October 23, 2005
Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR) works to assure fairness and balance in the domestic violence issue: http://www.mediaradar.org/.
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Last week RADAR requested that PBS delay the release of Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories until it could be revised to reflect basic journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness. Ignoring the thousands of e-mails, phone calls, and letters, PBS went ahead and released the program anyway.
