Unfair and Unbalanced

My email to CNN (and a similar one to BBC). I just couldn't take it anymore...

Dear CNN:

CNN does a wonderful job presenting world news through a "CNN" viewpoint.

We need variety in our major news media. Some are far left, some far right, and some are unbiased and fair. All we expect is media honesty about their political leaning. Conservative media should proclaim themselves conservative, and liberal media as liberal. Media who claim to be unbiased media should be obviously fair.

It’s a problem if a major news media pretends to be unbiased, but is in fact conservative or liberal. We tell our children to have this reaction to obvious bias from a source which pretends to be fair: “That biased media (or teacher, or friend, or book, or politician) is dishonest when it proclaims fairness. It’s not reliable – it’s unprofessional; a partisan, political hack. It’s not a serious, respected honest broker of information.”

A few media veer so far off the fair and unbiased road while proclaiming a balanced presentation that they are jokes. Sadly, CNN is that far off the road. People – conservative and liberal alike – who actually know something about the topics CNN reports upon laugh at the idea that the reporting is balanced. People who agree with the CNN bias laugh gleefully. We who disagree laugh derisively.

Proof? I’ve not yet said whether CNN has gone off the left or the right side of the road. Still, would any CNN listener or CNN worker think I’m saying CNN is too conservative? Of course not. Everyone, conservative and liberal, knows that CNN is very liberal; many say extreme left. CNN could regain respect; just admit and proudly proclaim CNN liberal bias, or correct it. Please, do not simply remain a joke.

Jim Robie
USA