FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: PBS SHOULD FIRE BROOKS, APOLOGIZE

PBS Pundit Equates "Lefty Blogs" With 9/11 Mass Murderer Bin Laden

Call For PBS To Fire Brooks' And Apologize To Viewers

ThinkProgress has a video of PBS pundit David Brooks equating 'lefty blogs' with mass murderer and 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden.  During a NewsHour discussion of the latest video from Bin Laden, Brooks began his comments by saying:

I mean, on one hand, he’s a malevolent guy who killed 3,000 Americans. But you read this thing, and it’s like he’s been sitting around reading lefty blogs, and he’s one of these childish people posting rants at the bottom the page, you know, Noam Chomsky and all this stuff.

(full transcript: ThinkProgress, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer)

The tendency of right wing pundits to equate Democrats and liberals with violent criminals, terrorists and genocidal dictators is a growing trend in the media. 

This latest example, however, is not from the likes of right wing pundits typically associated with violent rhetoric, such as Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity.  David Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times and a regular guest on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Brooks' comparison of Bin Laden and 'lefty blogs' represents a breach of professional responsibility and an offense to the viewers of PBS.

We call on PBS to take these immediate actions in response to Brooks' comment:

1) Publish an apology for Brooks' comments in a major U.S. paper
2) Remove Brooks from his position as a pundit for The NewsHour
3) Air a follow-up segment apologizing for Brooks remark

PBS is a public broadcasting network operated for the good of the American people.  Pundits who equate large segments of the PBS viewing public with the most well-known mass murderer of recent history are a breach of the public trust given to PBS.  As such, they should not be allowed to continue working at PBS.

On air political pundits equating liberals with terrorists has become a serious and recurrent problem in American broadcast and cable television.  PBS has a responsibility to make sure this practice is not allowed to occur during their shows, and to take appropriate action each time it does.

Tell Them
The PBS complaint form:

The NewsHour is open to hearing your feedback, suggestions and concerns about the program, our Web site and our journalism.

All inquiries, complaints and feedback can be sent to [email protected]. These e-mails are lightly vetted for obscenity and spam and then distributed to NewsHour senior staff. Due to an overwhelming number of viewer e-mails we receive every day, it is impossible to respond personally to each letter as we would prefer to do. Viewers also may call our feedback line at 703.998.2138.

U.S. mail may be sent to:

MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
2700 South Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22206

In addition, you may contact the PBS Ombudsman, Michael Getler, with your concerns and feedback at his site.

(cross posted from Frameshop)

©  Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop