Dear Janet Hall, Don Dailey and Rick Karle:
TV stations journalism shortcomings
For a couple of years I have been critical about shortcomings of Alabama TV stations in the performance of their journalistic obligations.
The Radio Television Digital News Association's code of ethics sets out those obligations in the following way:
The foregoing is a very high standard for journalistic ethics, and may be impossible of full attainment.
I have concluded that either the business and political interests of the TV stations have hindered them from fulfilling their journalistic obligations in a reasonably satisfactory way, or the TV stations do not have qualified staff capable of performing at the journalistic level that is called for. I think the shortcomings are so great that the TV stations ought to acknowledge to their viewers that the viewers should not consider themselves, in the words of the above code of ethics, "empower[ed] to make [reasonably] informed decisions for themselves."
The TV stations by and large have been unresponsive to my criticisms. They have neither put forth a defense of their performances of their journalistic obligations nor acknowledged the shortcomings in their performance of their journalistic obligations.
There have been two exceptions. One has been Susana Schuler, General Manager of WVTM.
The other is Brendan Kirby of Fox 10 News in Mobile, who forthrightly tweeted to me, "We don't editorialize." For more on this, see https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/07/al-tv-viewers-need-help-reaching-their.html.
The Alabama Broadcasters Association has disavowed being a forum for the member TV stations to evaluate collectively how well they are performing their journalistic obligations (and possibly inspiring one another to do better) and disavowed being an intermediary where the public can voice their criticisms about the journalistic performance of the TV stations. See 2023 emails with Alabama Broadcasters Association that are posted in https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/03/al-broadcasters-assoc-and-academics-re.html.
This disavowal seems supported by the Association's Educational Advisor, Dr. Brian S. Butler, the dean of The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences.
I have received little or no information in response to my inquiries.
Retired Alabama TV news personages; Judy Woodruff
For a couple of years I have been critical about shortcomings of Alabama TV stations in the performance of their journalistic obligations.
The Radio Television Digital News Association's code of ethics sets out those obligations in the following way:
Journalism’s obligation is to the public. Journalism places the public’s interests ahead of commercial, political and personal interests. Journalism empowers viewers, listeners and readers to make more informed decisions for themselves; it does not tell people what to believe or how to feel. https://www.rtdna.org/ethics
The foregoing is a very high standard for journalistic ethics, and may be impossible of full attainment.
As high as the standard is, it would seem at least call for Alabama TV stations to evaluate themselves, what their shortcomings are, and decide whether they should try to make improvements in the performance of their journalistic obligations.
I have put forth a number of criticisms. Examples include these links:
I have put forth a number of criticisms. Examples include these links:
I have concluded that either the business and political interests of the TV stations have hindered them from fulfilling their journalistic obligations in a reasonably satisfactory way, or the TV stations do not have qualified staff capable of performing at the journalistic level that is called for. I think the shortcomings are so great that the TV stations ought to acknowledge to their viewers that the viewers should not consider themselves, in the words of the above code of ethics, "empower[ed] to make [reasonably] informed decisions for themselves."
The TV stations by and large have been unresponsive to my criticisms. They have neither put forth a defense of their performances of their journalistic obligations nor acknowledged the shortcomings in their performance of their journalistic obligations.
There have been two exceptions. One has been Susana Schuler, General Manager of WVTM.
The other is Brendan Kirby of Fox 10 News in Mobile, who forthrightly tweeted to me, "We don't editorialize." For more on this, see https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/07/al-tv-viewers-need-help-reaching-their.html.
The Alabama Broadcasters Association has disavowed being a forum for the member TV stations to evaluate collectively how well they are performing their journalistic obligations (and possibly inspiring one another to do better) and disavowed being an intermediary where the public can voice their criticisms about the journalistic performance of the TV stations. See 2023 emails with Alabama Broadcasters Association that are posted in https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/03/al-broadcasters-assoc-and-academics-re.html.
This disavowal seems supported by the Association's Educational Advisor, Dr. Brian S. Butler, the dean of The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences.
Journalism and communications academic community
I have extensively endeavored to communicate to journalism and communications professors in Alabama and to inquire about what they teach their students about the journalistic obligations the students will be undertaking in their careers, about how well the students' prospective employers fulfill those obligations, and what the professors endeavor to improve the performance of those obligations. As to recent efforts I made in April of this year, see
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/04/2023-southern-studies-conference.html. See also https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/03/al-broadcasters-assoc-and-academics-re.html and https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/04/email-to-ua-uab-auburn-samford.html
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/04/2023-southern-studies-conference.html. See also https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/03/al-broadcasters-assoc-and-academics-re.html and https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/04/email-to-ua-uab-auburn-samford.html
I have received little or no information in response to my inquiries.
I am not in a position to judge how hard the academic journalism and communication community tries to teach and instill in students the journalistic obligations the students are supposed to fulfill or how hard the community tries to influence TV stations in how the TV stations perform their journalistic obligations.
Regardless of how much effort the academic journalism and communication community makes, the great shortfall in the TV stations' performance of their journalism obligations described above is as it is.
Other "institutions" possibly stepping up
With the shortcomings of the TV stations, besides communicating to the academic community, I have tried to communicate to the business, legal and medical communities to urge them to find a way to step in. See https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/07/local-tv-failure-calling-on-other.html. In the foregoing link, I ask the question: "Is there anyone in Alabama to whom Alabamians may turn for relatively unbiased, intelligent political commentary/opinion, and who has a significant audience of Alabama voters across the political spectrum?"
Retired Alabama TV news personages; Judy Woodruff
So now I turn to retired Alabama TV news personages to try to find out whether they can help out.
To hold out inspiration, I cite Judy Woodruff, the retiring grand dame of public television and the PBS News Hour. Please watch https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/judy-woodruffs-goodbye-message-to-viewers-as-she-departs-newshour-anchor-desk, consider her parting words,
To hold out inspiration, I cite Judy Woodruff, the retiring grand dame of public television and the PBS News Hour. Please watch https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/judy-woodruffs-goodbye-message-to-viewers-as-she-departs-newshour-anchor-desk, consider her parting words,
and do your own reflection on her focus on understanding "why we Americans seem so divided.""I will still be around as a correspondent, taking on a big project for the next couple of years called America at a Crossroads, trying to understand our country better and why we Americans seem so divided."
Janet Hall, Don Dailey and Rick Karle, please help out here.
Email "Dear Janet Hall, Don Dailey and Rick Karle: Can retired AL TV news personages help improve AL TV news journalism?"
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>To: shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; todd@aldailynews.com <todd@aldailynews.com>; rick.karle@hearst.com <rick.karle@hearst.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 09:42:45 AM CDT
Subject: Dear Janet Hall, Don Dailey and Rick Karle: Can retired AL TV news personages help improve AL TV news journalism?
Dear Janet (c/o shannon.isbell@wbrc.com), Don (c/o todd@aldailynews.com), and Rick:
Please read https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/can-retired-alabama-tv-news-personages.html, which makes an appeal to you, as retired Alabama TV news personages, to help improve Alabama TV journalism.
I hope there is something you can and will do.
I can't find email addresses for Janet and Don, so I have used the indicated c/o email addresses, which I think will work for their purpose.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
Addendums to above
Email to Hoover Sun's Jon Anderson"And David Smith is also executive chair of Sinclair Broadcasting, which has drawn criticism for injecting conservative and right-wing commentary into its local news broadcasts that owns over 200 local TV stations."https://t.co/6kzxEq8Ly8#alpolitics https://t.co/mP4utPecs5
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) January 20, 2024
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Jon Anderson <janderson@starnesmedia.com>
Cc: rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; pamhuff@sbgtv.com <pamhuff@sbgtv.com>; knorred@wvua23.com <knorred@wvua23.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 05:26:59 PM CST
Subject: Re: Wilkins, McFeeters challenge Palmer in Congressional District 6 forum
Thank you, Jon.
I would like to pick up on your having "to remain neutral in political matters and opinions."
There is first the "neutrality" of your individual personal biases and interests not affecting your reporting of political matters or your expressing opinions about candidates and political issues.
There is also whether journalistic "neutrality" can be compromised by corporate media owners' commercial interests affecting their political news reporting or affecting their editorializing about candidates and political issues.
Question: How can Birmingham TV stations be neutral in fulfilling their journalistic obligations when they are receiving thousands of dollars to run Gary Palmer's ads touting himself as having the complete backing of Donald Trump? I think Alabama TV stations have been compromised by the revenues they receive for running political ads, and I have written this up in my blog entry Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Local TV stations, journalism ethics and political ads (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com)
I also think Alabama TV viewers need help in reaching conclusions about candidates and political issues, and I have written about this as well in Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: AL TV viewers need help reaching their conclusions (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com).
Last October, I solicited retired Alabama TV personages Janet Hall, Don Dailey and Rick Karle to use their retirement freedom to push for Alabama TV stations to better perform their journalistic obligations, per Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Can retired AL TV news personages help improve AL TV news journalism? (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com).
Janet Hall and Scott Richards, who recently died suddenly, were longtime colleague at WBRC, and I would like to suggest that a way for Janet and WBRC to honor Scott Richards would be for them to take up things I say In the above links.
In addition to my above contacting of Alabama TV stations, currently I am trying to inform ABC3340, CBS42, WVTM13 and WBRC of my efforts to get on the ballot in the 6th Congressional district. I do not know whether they are paying any attention. WVUA23 in Tuscaloosa showed an interest in my coming to talk with their editorial board, but, Tuscaloosa not being in the 6th Congressional district, I have not taken up WVUA23 on the suggestion. Also, Mike Wright of WAAY TV in Huntsville has twice said to me he would like to meet up with me when he comes to Birmingham.
I am copying the foregoing TV stations on this email for whatever effect it may have regarding the foregoing matters.
Rob Shattuck
Email to CBS42 News Director Rob Martin and NewsNation Chris Stirewalt
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; bfeldman@newsnationnow.com <bfeldman@newsnationnow.com>
Cc: Jon Anderson <janderson@starnesmedia.com>; shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; pamhuff@sbgtv.com <pamhuff@sbgtv.com>; knorred@wvua23.com <knorred@wvua23.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2024 at 07:20:16 PM CST
Subject: CBS42 Andrea Lindenberg interviews this week of Gary Palmer and Chris Stirewalt
Dear Mr. Martin and Mr. Stirewalt (c/o NewsNation Media Contact Beth Feldman):
I am emailing CBS News Director Rob Martin again and also Chris Stirewalt, prompted by seeing Andrea Lindenberg's interviews this week of Gary Palmer (on Thursday) and of Chris Stirewalt (today), Mr. Sirewalt being with NewsNation and commencing a Sunday talk show "The Hill Sunday."
I saw only part of the Gary Palmer interview. I cannot find that interview or the Chris Stirewalt interview online, so I am speaking from memory here.
Chris Stirewalt said local TV stations, including CBS42, had the greatest trust of viewers, compared to the trust viewers had of other news sources. I think Chris Stirewalt particularly mentioned the trust that local TV stations had for holding accountable those parties who affected the lives of the local viewers.
In the below email I sent to Hoover Sun's Jon Anderson, on which CBS News Director Rob Martin was copied, I ask the question "How can Birmingham TV stations be neutral in fulfilling their journalistic obligations when they are receiving thousands of dollars to run Gary Palmer's ads touting himself as having the complete backing of Donald Trump?"
In Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Can retired AL TV news personages help improve AL TV news journalism? (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com), I answer the foregoing question in the following way:
To: rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; bfeldman@newsnationnow.com <bfeldman@newsnationnow.com>
Cc: Jon Anderson <janderson@starnesmedia.com>; shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; Baylor Long <blong@hearst.com>; pamhuff@sbgtv.com <pamhuff@sbgtv.com>; knorred@wvua23.com <knorred@wvua23.com>; Mike Wright <mwright@waaytv.com>
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2024 at 07:20:16 PM CST
Subject: CBS42 Andrea Lindenberg interviews this week of Gary Palmer and Chris Stirewalt
Dear Mr. Martin and Mr. Stirewalt (c/o NewsNation Media Contact Beth Feldman):
I am emailing CBS News Director Rob Martin again and also Chris Stirewalt, prompted by seeing Andrea Lindenberg's interviews this week of Gary Palmer (on Thursday) and of Chris Stirewalt (today), Mr. Sirewalt being with NewsNation and commencing a Sunday talk show "The Hill Sunday."
I saw only part of the Gary Palmer interview. I cannot find that interview or the Chris Stirewalt interview online, so I am speaking from memory here.
Chris Stirewalt said local TV stations, including CBS42, had the greatest trust of viewers, compared to the trust viewers had of other news sources. I think Chris Stirewalt particularly mentioned the trust that local TV stations had for holding accountable those parties who affected the lives of the local viewers.
In the below email I sent to Hoover Sun's Jon Anderson, on which CBS News Director Rob Martin was copied, I ask the question "How can Birmingham TV stations be neutral in fulfilling their journalistic obligations when they are receiving thousands of dollars to run Gary Palmer's ads touting himself as having the complete backing of Donald Trump?"
In Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Can retired AL TV news personages help improve AL TV news journalism? (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com), I answer the foregoing question in the following way:
I have concluded that either the business and political interests of the TV stations have hindered them from fulfilling their journalistic obligations in a reasonably satisfactory way, or the TV stations do not have qualified staff capable of performing at the journalistic level that is called for. I think the shortcomings are so great that the TV stations ought to acknowledge to their viewers that the viewers should not consider themselves, in the words of the above code of ethics, "empower[ed] to make [reasonably] informed decisions for themselves."
I send this email and copy the same FWIW.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook AL
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook AL
Do you agree with my criticism of how Alabama TV stations have "covered" elections that I set out at https://t.co/6kzxEq8Ly8?
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 6, 2024
Will you join me to press the TV stations to do better between now and November?
Thanks.#alpolitics
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