Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Upcoming SCOTUS decision on gun rights

Monday, May 30, 2022

Post-mortem of AL TV stations' election performance

From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com, programming@abc3340.com, Susana.Schuler@hearst.com, blong@hearst.com, wcromwell@cbs42.com, rmartin@cbs42.com, collin.gaston@wbrc.com, jama.killingsworth@waff.com, julie@waff.com, paul.caron@whnt.com, mwright@waaytv.com, sgallien@waaytv.com, eric.duncan@fox10tv.com, Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com, news@mynbc15.com, dsingleton@mynbc15.com, PAlbrecht@wkrg.com, clombard@wkrg.com, robby.thomas@wtvy.com, stephen.crews@wtvy.com, TCole@wdhn.com, RWare@wdhn.com, mbunting@wsfa.com, sduff@wsfa.com, ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net, jrainey@alabamanews.net, sdiorio@wvua23.com, knorred@wvua23.com
Sent: Mon, May 30, 2022 9:44 am
Subject: Post-mortem of AL TV stations' election performance
If, with the May 24th primary election day now past, your TV station is doing an internal after-action review of your station's 2022 election performance thus far, please consider what Dale Jackson, Mecca Musick and Dylan Smith say in the Alabama Politics This Week show that is posted at https://yellowhammernews.com/katie-britt-to-face-mo-brooks-in-runoff-governor-ivey-rolls-easily-and-more-on-alabama-politics-this-week/.
Please note particularly the following things said or referred to at the indicated times in the show:
17:27 is there enough time for negative ad money to draw Katie Britt down?
18:48 the onslaught of negative attack ads that took Mike Durant down
19:24 the air war
19:40 the negativity of radio and TV ads that took Mike Durant down
20:04 the power of TV ads and PAC spending never seen before
23:25 Durant wants to avenge Britt ad attacks against Durant
23:47 matter of turnout, which John Merrill over-estimated
24:09 low turnout because of voter apathy and negative ads, although effective, that voters don't like
24:27 those who think elections stolen won't turn out
24:35 voter apathy
24:35 the Georgia high voter turnout compared to Alabama's low turnout
27:51 mistaken belief that low turnout would be good
28:20 effect on turnout of Alabama being one party state
28:26 Merrill predicted 31-32%; actual turnout 10 percentage points less: runoff will be even lesser turnout
28:45 11-15% of voters will determine next U.S. Senator, Alabama Secretary of State etc.
29:10 amazing how few voters participate amidst negative ad bombardment
An after-action review of your TV station's election performance thus far should consider whether your TV station thinks what Dale Jackson, Mecca Musick and Dylan Smith say about the primary election are accurate; whether what happened in the election was good or bad for politics and governance in Alabama; the role your TV station played in the election; and, if what you think what happened in the election iwas bad for politics and governance in Alabama, the extent to which your TV station contributed to the bad or mitigated the bad; and whether your TV station could have done better in the period before May24th. https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/post-mortem-of-al-tv-stations-election.html
Thank you very much.
[If you furnish me a contact email address for my sending emails to your TV station, I will use the contact email address you give me rather than the email addresses for your TV station that I have used on this email. Thanks.]

5/31/22

6/1/22 

6/2/22 

From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com, programming@abc3340.com, Susana.Schuler@hearst.com, blong@hearst.com, wcromwell@cbs42.com, rmartin@cbs42.com, collin.gaston@wbrc.com, jama.killingsworth@waff.com, julie@waff.com, paul.caron@whnt.com, mwright@waaytv.com, sgallien@waaytv.com, eric.duncan@fox10tv.com, Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com, news@mynbc15.com, dsingleton@mynbc15.com, PAlbrecht@wkrg.com, clombard@wkrg.com, robby.thomas@wtvy.com, stephen.crews@wtvy.com, TCole@wdhn.com, RWare@wdhn.com, mbunting@wsfa.com, sduff@wsfa.com, ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net, jrainey@alabamanews.net, sdiorio@wvua23.com, knorred@wvua23.com
Sent: Thu, Jun 2, 2022 4:24 am
Subject: What are AL TV stations going to do re Katie Britt
In the election journalism and editorializing your TV stations do (or do not do), what will your TV stations do relative to Katie Britt saying she will not participate in a debate? https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/post-mortem-of-al-tv-stations-election.html
I think there are things your TV stations should do in the situation of Britt and Brooks not appearing together in a debate.
If you ask me, I will tell you what I think those things are.
Thank you.
[If you furnish me a contact email address for my sending emails to your TV station, I will use the contact email address you give me rather than the email addresses for your TV station that I have used on this email.]

6/3/22

6/4/22 

6/8/22 6/8/22
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com, programming@abc3340.com, Susana.Schuler@hearst.com, blong@hearst.com, wcromwell@cbs42.com, rmartin@cbs42.com, collin.gaston@wbrc.com, jama.killingsworth@waff.com, julie@waff.com, paul.caron@whnt.com, mwright@waaytv.com, sgallien@waaytv.com, eric.duncan@fox10tv.com, Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com, news@mynbc15.com, dsingleton@mynbc15.com, PAlbrecht@wkrg.com, clombard@wkrg.com, robby.thomas@wtvy.com, stephen.crews@wtvy.com, TCole@wdhn.com, RWare@wdhn.com, mbunting@wsfa.com, sduff@wsfa.com, ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net, jrainey@alabamanews.net, sdiorio@wvua23.com, knorred@wvua23.com
Cc: ntdavis2@ua.edu, dralewis@uab.edu, brown11@auburn.edu, rchorn@samford.edu, doerflerc@montevallo.edu,david.hughes@aum.edu, mnelson@ua.edu, alfranks@uab.edu, jzb0124@auburn.edu, mcarey@samford.edu, cofieldj@montevallo.edu
Sent: Wed, Jun 8, 2022 6:36 pm
Subject: 12 days left in this stage of AL TV stations' 2022 election journalism
I have been bugging Alabama TV stations during this election runoff period to do soul searching about the election journalism the TV stations did before May 24th with a view to possibly making improvements during the runoff period. https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/post-mortem-of-al-tv-stations-election.html 
I have no feedback from Alabama TV stations about their election journalism in this election runoff period.
I do not know whether the attitude of the TV stations is "our election journalism is fine and we don't think any changes are called for" or "we are not satisfied with our election journalism and we have been making improvements" or "we are not satisfied with our election journalism but we are not doing anything at this time to try to improve the same."
I think the TV stations' election journalism could be better than it has been.
In March and April I sent emails to Alabama university professors in the fields of communications, journalism and political science, which emails can be found at 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 am taking the opportunity of this email to copy those professors on this email.
As I have noted to you previously, if you furnish me a contact email address for my sending emails to your TV station, I will use the contact email address you give me rather than the email addresses for your TV station that I have used on this email.
Thank you.

6/9/22

6/14/22 Alabama TV stations and ill-informed people
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com, programming@abc3340.com, Susana.Schuler@hearst.com, blong@hearst.com, wcromwell@cbs42.com, rmartin@cbs42.com, collin.gaston@wbrc.com, jama.killingsworth@waff.com, julie@waff.com, paul.caron@whnt.com, mwright@waaytv.com, sgallien@waaytv.com, eric.duncan@fox10tv.com, Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com, news@mynbc15.com, dsingleton@mynbc15.com, PAlbrecht@wkrg.com, clombard@wkrg.com, robby.thomas@wtvy.com, stephen.crews@wtvy.com, TCole@wdhn.com, RWare@wdhn.com, mbunting@wsfa.com, sduff@wsfa.com, ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net, jrainey@alabamanews.net, sdiorio@wvua23.com, knorred@wvua23.com
Cc: mnelson@ua.edu, alfranks@uab.edu, jzb0124@auburn.edu, mcarey@samford.edu, cofieldj@montevallo.edu, ntdavis2@ua.edu, dralewis@uab.edu, brown11@auburn.edu, rchorn@samford.edu, doerflerc@montevallo.edu,
david.hughes@aum.edu,
Sent: Tue, Jun 14, 2022 8:09 am
Subject: Alabama TV stations and ill-informed people
Dear TV stations:
On his most recent Alabama Politics This Week show, Dale Jackson said, "If you are looking to touch the people that are ill-informed, TV ads are the way to go. If you're looking to touch people who understand what is going on, especially in politics in this state, talk radio is the way to go."
You can listen to Dale saying that at 15:21 of the video of his show at https://yellowhammernews.com/britt-to-face-brooks-in-runoff-governor-ivey-rolls-easily-and-more-on-alabama-politics-this-week/.
If your TV station is doing any soul searching about your election journalism, please include thinking about what Dale Jackson said on his show, including whether you think your viewers are ill-informed in connection with the 2022 elections, the things about which you think they are ill-informed, the extent to which your TV station contributes to your viewers being ill-informed, and what your TV station tries to do or could try to do to lessen the extent to which your viewers are ill-informed in connection with the 2022 elections.
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/06/al-tv-stations-and-ill-informed-people.html
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/post-mortem-of-al-tv-stations-election.html
Thank you for your attention to this email.

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Arms race between police and wrongdoers with guns

Saturday, May 28, 2022

#al05 debate

5/31/22
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: paul.caron@whnt.com <paul.caron@whnt.com>
Sent: Tue, May 31, 2022 7:39 am
Subject: suggesting questions to be asked in #al05 debate
Dear Mr. Caron:
I think WHNT should invite viewers to submit questions that they would like to see asked in the Strong/Wardynski debate that WHNT will televise.
I live in the 6th Congressional district and have many questions I would like my Rep. Gary Palmer to answer, but I cannot get him to answer anything.
I think many of my questions for Rep. Palmer are questions that voters in the 5th Congressional district are or should be interested in getting answered by their representative in Congress. Accordingly, I consider it legitimate for me to try to pose questions for consideration for being asked in the Strong/Wardynski debate, and I will do that.
If WHNT solicits debate questions to be submitted on WHNT's Facebook page, I will submit questions there.
Also, I don't use Facebook much, and use Twitter a lot. I will use Twitter to post suggested debate questions using the hashtag #al05debate and will solicit other Twitter users to do the same.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,

6/2/22

6/3/22 

6/14/22 

6/15/22

6/16/22 Email to TV stations
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com, programming@abc3340.com, Susana.Schuler@hearst.com, blong@hearst.com, wcromwell@cbs42.com, rmartin@cbs42.com, collin.gaston@wbrc.com, jama.killingsworth@waff.com, julie@waff.com, paul.caron@whnt.com, mwright@waaytv.com, sgallien@waaytv.com, eric.duncan@fox10tv.com, Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com, news@mynbc15.com, dsingleton@mynbc15.com, PAlbrecht@wkrg.com, clombard@wkrg.com, robby.thomas@wtvy.com, stephen.crews@wtvy.com, TCole@wdhn.com, RWare@wdhn.com, mbunting@wsfa.com, sduff@wsfa.com, ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net, jrainey@alabamanews.net, sdiorio@wvua23.com, knorred@wvua23.com
Cc:  mnelson@ua.edu, alfranks@uab.edu, jzb0124@auburn.edu, mcarey@samford.edu, cofieldj@montevallo.edu, ntdavis2@ua.edu, dralewis@uab.edu, brown11@auburn.edu, rchorn@samford.edu, doerflerc@montevallo.edu,
david.hughes@aum.edu,
Sent: Thu, Jun 16, 2022 6:27 pm
Subject: TV stations, #al05 debate, and ill-informed people
Dear Alabama TV stations:
Continuing on with your soul-searching about your 2022 election journalism, please consider the 5th Congressional district debate that WHNT hosted and evaluate whether it mitigated the condition of ill-informed voters, which Dale Jackson has talked about. https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/al05-debate.html
A video of the debate can be found at https://whnt.com/news/politics/your-local-election-headquarters/5th-congressional-district-gop-runoff-prime-time-debate/. There is also post -debate news of "Mrs. Wardynski tells Strong ‘I’m coming after you’." https://256today.com/im-coming-after-you-sparks-fly-in-al-5-post-debate-exchange/
If you review the debate, keep in mind Dale Jackson's full comment: "If you are looking to touch the people that are ill-informed, TV ads are the way to go. If you're looking to touch people who understand what is going on, especially in politics in this state, talk radio is the way to go." https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/06/al-tv-stations-and-ill-informed-people.html.
Also, note how 256 Today says, "North Alabama is a region with all types of smart people. There are rocket scientists, health care professionals, stay-at-home parents, computer analysts, educators, farmers, contractors, engineers, artists, military personnel, and so much more. No matter the occupation, the Tennessee Valley is tied together by people who are all (S)elf-sufficient, (M)otivated, (A)dept, (R)esourceful, and (T)rustworthy. People who deserve to have their local news reflect that. People who are – as the dictionary defines it – “capable of independent action,” and as we define it, smart as hell." https://256today.com/about/
While time is running out in the runoff elections, I think your soul-searching about your 2022 election journalism should continue after June 21st.
Thank you for your attention to this email.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Republicans serving up hate on Tuesday’s ballot


Email to Alabama TV stations
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: comments@abc3340.com <comments@abc3340.com>; programming@abc3340.com <programming@abc3340.com>; Susana.Schuler@hearst.com <Susana.Schuler@hearst.com>; blong@hearst.com <blong@hearst.com>; wcromwell@cbs42.com <wcromwell@cbs42.com>; rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; collin.gaston@wbrc.com <collin.gaston@wbrc.com>; shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>; jama.killingsworth@waff.com <jama.killingsworth@waff.com>; julie@waff.com <julie@waff.com>; paul.caron@whnt.com <paul.caron@whnt.com>; mwright@waaytv.com <mwright@waaytv.com>; sgallien@waaytv.com <sgallien@waaytv.com>; eric.duncan@fox10tv.com <eric.duncan@fox10tv.com>; Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com <Randy.Merrow@fox10tv.com>; news@mynbc15.com <news@mynbc15.com>; dsingleton@mynbc15.com <dsingleton@mynbc15.com>; PAlbrecht@wkrg.com <PAlbrecht@wkrg.com>; clombard@wkrg.com <clombard@wkrg.com>; robby.thomas@wtvy.com <robby.thomas@wtvy.com>; stephen.crews@wtvy.com <stephen.crews@wtvy.com>; TCole@wdhn.com <TCole@wdhn.com>; RWare@wdhn.com <RWare@wdhn.com>; mbunting@wsfa.com <mbunting@wsfa.com>; sduff@wsfa.com <sduff@wsfa.com>; ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net <ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net>; jrainey@alabamanews.net <jrainey@alabamanews.net>; sdiorio@wvua23.com <sdiorio@wvua23.com>; knorred@wvua23.com <knorred@wvua23.com>
Sent: Tue, May 24, 2022 5:42 am
Subject: Opinion: Republicans serving up hate on Tuesday's ballot
I found this article interesting and thought of sharing it with you. Check it out. https://www.alreporter.com/2022/05/21/opinion-republicans-serving-up-hate-on-tuesdays-ballot/

Email to Alabama chambers of commerce
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: dcole@bcatoday.org <dcole@bcatoday.org>; ejerkins@birminghambusinessalliance.com <ejerkins@birminghambusinessalliance.com>; director@homewoodchamber.org <director@homewoodchamber.org>; chamber@vestaviahills.org <chamber@vestaviahills.org>; rfigh@montgomerychamber.com <rfigh@montgomerychamber.com>
Sent: Tue, May 24, 2022 7:39 am
Subject: Opinion: Republicans serving up hate on Tuesday's ballot
I found this article interesting and thought of sharing it with you. Check it out. https://www.alreporter.com/2022/05/21/opinion-republicans-serving-up-hate-on-tuesdays-ballot/

Friday, May 20, 2022

Candidates' mailers & TV station election roundtables

I have been complaining for months that I think the TV ads of the candidates running for U.S. Senator from Alabama and for Alabama Governor are political diarrhea, and it is appalling that the ads are effective for getting voters to vote for the candidates. https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/03/unchecked-political-diarrhea.html.

I have been haranguing TV stations to mitigate the political diarrhea by editorializing about the candidates' TV ads.

In these final days before May 24th I have been pleading with the TV stations to do election roundtable discussions among the stations' news anchors and reporters. https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/05/al-tv-station-election-roundtables.html

The above guest opinion talks about the "well-funded super PACs supporting Katie hav[ing] blanketed the state with mailers designed to subtly shift your impression of Mike."

I am sure that, like the candidates' TV ads, the candidates' mailers are distortive  about the truth and reality of an opponent who is attacked (if an opponent is attacked) and are misleading and inaccurate in the messaging in the mailer in favor of the candidate sending the mailer.

The mailers of the candidates are further reason why TV stations should do election roundtable discussions among the stations' news anchors and reporters.

Also, the above guest opinion's discussion of issues is suggestive that roundtable discussions by the TV stations need to be of significant length.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Education and 2022 elections

6/19/22 6/28/22

11/4/22