MY Letter to the Motherf*cking Media on their demonstrated lack of Ethics

[FrenchieCat]

Dear XXXXXXX,

I had hoped that Journalists had read the NYT story below, but judging from watching television today, it doesn't appear that this was so. The fact that every pundit that I listened to today was sowing seeds of doubts in the minds of Americans in reference to President Elect Obama's connection to Illinois' Governor was not missed. I suggest that reporters do their due diligence and remember that Mr. Obama was called a Motherf*cker by the Governor because of the camp's refusal to pay to play.

I resent the fact that I even have to write any letters about this matter, and I suggest that reporters understand that the days of witchhunts are over. This time, the American electorate is not in the mood of being dragged through invalid insinuations regarding the incoming President, just because the press believes that it can get away with it. We are facing serious times, and fabricated scandals and three ring circus will neither amuse us nor distract us.

I am emailing this story far and wide, and I will wait for it to be reported on. The New York Times is not some Blog, and the silence from the press in reference to President Elect Obama's actions tells its own tale. Put it this way; it doesn't make the media look anymore ethical than some of the characters they are reporting on.

Respectfully,
XXXXXXX

NYT: Obama’s Effort on Ethics Bill Had Role in Governor’s Fall
By MIKE McINTIRE and JEFF ZELENY
Published: December 9, 2008

In a sequence of events that neatly captures the contradictions of Barack Obama’s rise through Illinois politics, a phone call he made three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall of a fellow Democrat he twice supported, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

Mr. Obama placed the call to his political mentor, Emil Jones Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money in politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law’s restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say.

Tipped off to Mr. Blagojevich’s efforts, federal agents obtained wiretaps for his phones and eventually overheard what they say was scheming by the governor to profit from his appointment of a successor to the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Obama. One official whose name has long been mentioned in Chicago political circles as a potential successor is Mr. Jones, a machine politician who was viewed as a roadblock to ethics reform but is friendly with Mr. Obama.

Beyond the irony of its outcome, Mr. Obama’s unusual decision to inject himself into a statewide issue during the height of his presidential campaign was a reminder that despite his historic ascendancy to the White House, he has never quite escaped the murky and insular world of Illinois politics. It is a world he has long navigated, to the consternation of his critics, by engaging in a kind of realpolitik, Chicago-style, which allowed him to draw strength from his relationships with important players without becoming compromised by their many weaknesses.

By the time Mr. Obama intervened on the ethics measure, his relationship with Mr. Blagojevich, always defined more by political proximity than by personal chemistry, had cooled as the governor became increasingly engulfed in legal troubles. There is nothing in the criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday to indicate that Mr. Obama knew anything about plans to seek money and favors in exchange for his Senate seat; he has never been implicated in any other “pay to play” cases that have emerged from the long-running investigation of the Blagojevich administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10chicago.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all

I am sending this letter to just about every name on the list below, and then some....in particular to CNN and MSNBC. I invite you to join me....because even though the election is over, obviously the spinning from the Know Nothing Pundits has just begun.

give media a piece of your mind, drop a tip on a good story to our "friends", write a letter to the editor, my point is don't just get mad; do something!

Phone Numbers:

CNN-

(404) 827 – 1500
Comment line: (404) 827 - 0234
(From grasswire
CNN NEWS CHIEF Eason Jordan. 404.827.5111. fax: [phone]. [e-mail]
CNN NEWS DIRECTOR Kim Bondy. 404 827 1500. fax. [phone]
CNN NEWSROOM 404.827.1500 . 404.827.1500. [e-mail]
Call Anderson Cooper at 1-866-NY-AC360

Everyone at CNN is listed individually on this page: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv /

MSNBC

- Phone: [phone] EMAIL: [e-mail]

CBS

-Phone: [phone]

ABC-

ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: [phone] [e-mail] Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150

Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 [e-mail]

Cristi Landes, Manager, Programming 212.456.5107 [e-mail]

Wayne Fisk Director, Programming 212.456.5327 [e-mail]

Jeff Fitzgerald Executive Director, Operations 212.456.5554 [e-mail]

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Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 [e-mail]

Joyce Alcantara Assignment Manager 212.456.5106 [e-mail]

Jim Kane Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief 212.222. 6604 [e-mail]

Andrew Kalb Executive Director, Programming 05.567.2269 [e-mail]

Robert Garcia Executive Director, News & Sports 212.456.5103 [e-mail]

C-SPAN

Contacting C-SPAN's Washington Journal:
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ASSOCIATED PRESS OFFICES:

212-621-1500
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NEW YORK TIMES NEWS DEPARTMENT

To send comments and suggestions (about news coverage only) or to report errors that call for correction, e-mail [e-mail] or leave a message at 1-888-NYT-NEWS. To contact a reporter, click on the byline of one of his or her articles to access the reader e-mail form. You can also find any reporter's archive here (alphabetized by last name; reporters' names are italicized): Times Topics: People – http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/index.html

The Editors
[e-mail]
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The Newsroom
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FOX NEWS

1-888-369-4762 general number

1-877-9-NO-SPIN (877-966-7746) O'reilly

EMAILS FOR FOX [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail] , [e-mail]

*************************************

PERTINENT EMAIL ADDRESSES:

Jim Lehrer [e-mail]
Andrea Mitchell [e-mail]
Andrew Sullivan [e-mail]
Bob Herbert [e-mail]
Chris Matthews [e-mail]
Chuck Todd [e-mail]
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Cynthia Tucker [e-mail]
David Remnick (the New Yorker) [e-mail]
Donna Brazile [e-mail]
E.J. Dionne [e-mail]
Ed Schultz [e-mail]
Eugene Robinson [e-mail]

Howard Fineman [e-mail]
Jim Lehrer [e-mail]

Joe Klein http://www.time.com/time/letters/email_letter.html
Josh Marshall [e-mail]
Keith Olberman [e-mail]
Mark Ambinder [e-mail]
Mark Halperin (no direct, but address him and use [e-mail] )
Mike Malloy [e-mail]
Morning Joe - Feedback page-very bottom right column http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/
Race to the White House - Feeback page- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23598392/
Rachel Maddow [e-mail]
Randi Rhodes [e-mail]
Stephanie Miller [e-mail]
Steve Clemons [e-mail]
The New York Times Editors [e-mail]
The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com
Thom Hartmann [e-mail]
Tom BrokeJaw http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152 /

JOURNALISM WATCHDOG AGENCIES TO CONTACT

FACTCHECK [e-mail] - Drop them some facts; They need them
POLIFACT [e-mail] - Drop them some Facts; they need them
American Journalism Review [e-mail] -
Columbia journalism Review [e-mail] - Drop them a Tip. They are looking for them
Committee of Concerned Journalists [e-mail]
FAIR [e-mail] - Drop them a tip - They are looking for them
Institute for Public Accuracy [e-mail]
media matters [e-mail] - Drop them a Tip. They are looking for them

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TOOLS

http://www.democrats.org/page/speakout/letterstoeditors
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

[NanceGreggs]

1. K & R ...

:kick:

[annabanana]

2. kicking for the links, recommending to all DUers to tell this

lazy (at best) whorish media to STRAIGHTEN UP..

[Dragonfli]

3. K&R Frenchie - I will work on this as well, thanks for all the links they will help

[Hissyspit]

4. Now all of a sudden, the media is being SOOO vigilent...

And where was that vigilance in 2000 and 2003?

[FrenchieCat]

5. They are not being vigilant, they are making bread out of wild oats!

In otherwords, they are making shit up.

[Hissyspit]

17. You are correct, although I was being facecious. I should have used the term "so-called vigilant."

[nc4bo]

9. Was just thinking, doesn't the media have bigger fish to fry than a lowly Gov?

What about that slime ball piece of shit & friends located in the WH? Now THAT'S where the real story of corruption is located.

But hell no, we only hear about that thing in office when he's pimping some dumb memoir or rewriting the G-rated version of his 8 years of tyranny and death dictatorship.

Maddow, Olbermann are the only ones out there truth telling.

Disgusting.

Think I'll write a few letters too.

[rhett o rick]

6. FC I will also work on this, however, I think it is a don quixote wind mill.

The media is owned lock, stock and f^&%$ barrel by the ruling class. Don't think they care about what the public might think.

[FrenchieCat]

8. We have made them have a change of heart before!

The point is that if we don't let them know that we are paying attention, then they will think that we don't have a problem with them. If that is the case, they can be unethical and think that we don't notice.

I did this throughout the election season, and I would like to believe that it helped.

[rhett o rick]

10. Yes, I too have fought this battle and will continue. I try not to look reality in the face. nm

[FrenchieCat]

11. Bottomline is that it can't hurt.

If they know we know, then that's a good thing.

I write to the bloggers and the progressives too (if you noticed the addresses)...so it will get out there sooner than later.

[rhett o rick]

20. I agree with your bottom line, (hope that doesn't sound to weird). nm

[Mira]

7. K& R - great and needed work

[Starry Messenger]

12. Bravo!

What a beautiful swift kick in the butt that is FrenchieCat! k&r

[stillcool]

13. Have I told you lately..

that I love you Frenchie? :toast:

[FrenchieCat]

14. Awwwwwe!

:blush:

[zulchzulu]

15. K&R... the problem is it will fall on deaf ears

Obama represents upsetting General Electric, Raytheon, Boeing, General Dynamics, the secret government, neocons, multi-millionaires and their hangers on that want him diminished, tripped up and undermined.

These people own or are very much in control of the mainstream media. In back rooms, they want Obama to lose a lot of power by 2010. They will do all they can to make that so. Then they will try to finish him off in 2012.

People who watch the mainstream media news are for the most part absolutely uneducated where the news people are from and who their talking heads are and where they are from.

Just watch a CNN news show and see that the four panelists talking about how Obama will be in trouble are from the Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal, the American Enterprise Institute and the Weekly Standard. The host has links to the Heritage Foundation. The names and their creds flash quickly and you (if you are uninformed) are just really surprised that Obama is possibly in trouble.

Look at CNN's Anderson Cooper talking about the Obama Senator story and see the news graphic with a troubled-looking Obama and the title "Illinois Governor Scandal".

I won't even give examples about Fox News or most of MSNBC's programming. CBS, ABC and NBC news shows are barely even watchable.

As one who worked in television news in the past (doing graphics and animation), I know that any decent reporter who wants to really make a difference or follow the principles of Edward R. Murrow... gets fired.

[Cha]

26. They can stick their fingers in their ears all

they want..they'll miss hearing the meteorites falling on their dinosaurs.

[MagickMuffin]

16. A couple more email addresses for NBC

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

I sent them emails during the campaign season and they didn't get bounced back, although I didn't receive a response either.

I thought they should be included in your thread.

:hi:

[FrenchieCat]

18. Thanks.

I'll add them to my list, and they'll show up from this point on.

:hi:

[firedupdem]

19. Rec'd

I will be doing the same tomorrow. :yourock:

[TankLV]

21. I hear you Frenchie - they're TRYING their damnedest to tarnish Obama with this...

EVEN THO THE FIRST THING OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE PROSECUTOR SAID THAT OBAMA NOT ONLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT IT WAS HIS FUTURE CHIEF OF STAFF THAT ALERTED THE PROSECUTOR TO THESE SHENANIGANS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

It's simply MIND boggling...

They lost their latest "citizenship" bullshit lawsuit, so now they have latched on to THIS...

And to think that many here wondered if DU was going to be "necessary" after the election...

[FrenchieCat]

22. You got a point there!

Instead of tearing ourselves up, we can continue fighting the opposition,
cause they sure haven't changed their ways.....

[high density]

23. The NYT has their own bullshit story this morning: "Illinois scandal an early test for Obama team"

Exactly what role (Obama) or his team played will be a focus of intense scrutiny in the weeks to come after the arrest of Mr. Blagojevich on accusations that he was plotting to trade or sell the Senate appointment. In that sense, the furor could be the first test of the Obama team’s ability to manage a growing scandal in an era when intense media scrutiny and partisan attack machinery can escalate any flap into a serious political problem.

Mr. Obama said Tuesday that he had never spoken with the governor about the seat, and prosecutors have not implicated Mr. Obama or his advisers. At the same time, Mr. Obama’s team has declined for two days to answer questions about what discussions they had about the seat and whether intermediaries had any contacts with Mr. Blagojevich’s advisers.

The NYT in a nutshell: We say this is a scandal, you have been implicated (by us, the media) and you must deal with it. If you don't talk about it we assume you are guilty and hiding something.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/us/politics/11Fallout.html

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. kick and recommended!

[Cha]

25. Excellent, Frenchie! I'm so

glad you wrote this and I was directed to it via the Home Page.

A new list of Contact Numbers to be brought out at the appropriate times ..which is always with this corporatemedia that needs total reform.

We won the election in spite of them and we will continue rebuilding our country in spite of them. I have no doubt this has not gone unnoticed in the Obama Team.

[Uncle Joe]

27. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, FrenchieCat.:thumbsup:

[anigbrowl]

28. Ridiculous - there is nothing unfair to Obama about this

As a matter of fact, the story makes him look good: it shows that he has the political power to bring about positive change (ethics legislation in Chicago), and that his push to see that legislation passed resulted in a corrupt politician being caught out. Fulminating at the NYT over this is just absurd. I recommend a walk in the park, optionally followed by a relaxing drink or whatever else you enjoy.

[ErinBerin84]

29. she's not mad at the NYT over this

She is pointing out that none of the network coverage EVER has pointed to this story from the NYT yesterday, and are instead making baseless insinuations.

[anigbrowl]

30. OK, I see...but I view the network news as something to fill up time with.

Their ratings depend a lot more on sensationalism than whether it pisses people off or not. If you want to upset networks, don't write letters to them, just stop watching.

[FrenchieCat]

32. I did both.

I Taped C-Span this morning, and haven't yet seen all of the Prez Elect's press conference since I just got home.

But my televisions have not been turned on to any of the Pundit talk stations.

[Jakes Progress]

31. K&R One of the more productive ideas

I see on DU. Granted that the medial don't care what a person thinks. Maybe if they get enough of these, they will start to think of their bottom line.

To that end, I suggest that letters to local newspapers and to sponsors be added to the list. We won't let them do to Obama what they did to Clinton.

[FrenchieCat]

33. To write to local and national publications & Newspapers,

The list I posted show the following at the very bottom:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TOOLS
http://www.democrats.org/page/speakout/letterstoeditors
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media /

[Jakes Progress]

34. Those are nice, but

the first gives a kind of generic send-out from the party. I've used it to good effect before. The second did not find any media in my area or have the name of my home paper (top ten market).

I agree whole heartedly with the list, and with the idea. I've already sent a personal letter to the editor to my papers. I think I will just make myself watch CNN enough to get a list of advertisers. If several hundred of us did so (local sponsors vary for these programs) I think we would also help the effect of this excellent suggestion.

Kudos.

[FrenchieCat]

35. I'm surprised about Congress.org.....

Normally, if you put in your zip code, all of the local papers should show up! :shrug:

[Jakes Progress]

42. Must have been down.

Yesterday and this morning, it wouldn't find anything. This afternoon, it listed everything for hundreds of mile around. Nice starting place. It is a little behind on some of the contacts at the papers, but those change so often that it is understandable. For my local papers, it is easier just to go with the names and email listed in the paper.

[99 Percent Sure]

36. Excellent job, as usual, Frenchie Cat, I too sent correspondence

to MSNBC about the same thing:

Your muckraking tabloid coverage of the Blagojevich Corruption Scandal, as well as your continued blatantly obvious attempt to drag Obama through the mud in order to drive the narrative on this horrific story, demonstrate that traditional media needs to be changed from its self-serving reportage as much as politics. Obama has been nothing but transparent in this instance and, in fact, throughout the primary and the campaign, yet certain broadcasters on your network, in their race for high ratings, insist on making Obama's honesty and trustworthiness the issue although, so far, his character has clearly been without impunity.

The person, Tamara whatever her name is, as well as Chris Matthews and, to some extent, even Richard Wolfe's doublespeak insinuations, despite Federal Prosecutor Fitzgerald plainly insisting that Obama had nothing to do with Blagojevich's craziness, demonstrate that you'd rather create a story than merely report the news with "transparency.'

Even your headline on your homepage is a blatant lie - Obama did NOT say "staff not involved in Senate seat deals," instead, he said that HE had not talked to anyone in the Governor's office and that he was investigating who in his office actually did, and would report back to us his findings.

Journalism used to be an honorable, trustworthy profession though no more, especially not with the likes of Ms. Tamara, Mr. Matthews and a few others on your network. These days, broadcast journalism is as corrupt as politics, with unprincipled broadcasters insisting on creating scandals despite evidence to the contrary. It is not enough that we've got a rogue governor using the Illinois governor's seat to create prosperity for himself and his wife, your network and certain of your reporters aren't content except that you slime Obama with Blagoyevich's nastiness.

Your coverage of this is purely pathetic.

[FrenchieCat]

37. That's what I'm talking about! Let them hear us......

Because pretty soon they are gonna go by way of the 8 track tape.

Here is my other message to them! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7974026&mesg_id=7974026

[ErinBerin84]

38. I was glad tonight on CNN when

Toobin said (when Gergen started on the "Obama needs to get this stuff out there" shpeel and Anderson started on the "right wing radio is going crazy over this!") "NOTHING is 'festering'....Obama does not need to do something because Rush thinks he should. He should take his time, get it out all at once when he's ready. This is not a crisis here."

[FrenchieCat]

40. Here's a good article, front page of the Washington Post tomorrow!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3642117&mesg_id=3642130

[woo me with science]

39. Good job. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

41. K&R. Will be writing letter w/ cc to all of the above.

PS. GREAT post!!!!

[FrenchieCat]

43. I usually address one contact, and cc to another.....

Like I'll team up a letter to Newsweek, with a cc to Journalism Watchdog,
so that they realize that if they don't act right, they may be the story.

Also, I'll do like a letter to the AP with a cc to The New Yorker or the NYT.....to let those AP assholes know that serious journalists may have a big story later on that they willingly passed up.

Hardball's Chris Matthews letter usually go with a cc to Media Matters, etc.....

[BrklynLiberal]

45. Excellent plan of action...

[FrenchieCat]

46. IT means that I have to copy and past my letter more times than I'd like,

But it means that it won't get rejected as spam (which can happen with too many Copies sent)....

and the reader will look upon the letter as being personal and addressed to them....and one other. :)

[BrklynLiberal]

48. You are absolutely right...and at least we do not have to retype the letter for

each recipient.

Usually I write the letter in WORD so I have an original. If anything gets messed up, I can always go back there and copy it.

I just change the addressees.

[FrenchieCat]

49. Yep.....got all of those people in my contacts......

so it goes pretty fast. :)

[tledford]

44. The news media are PR firms employed by the Republican (Fascist) Party. So no surprise. eom

[FrenchieCat]

47. True dat.

I just hope that they will soon realize that their 401Ks and their worth is not getting larger by carrying the GOP's water. In fact, the reverse is true, all of that butt kissing to Republican interest will eventually end up being their downfall. Currently they have squandered the trust of the public, which is the exact opposite of what they would want.