Guest guest Posted June 2, 2002 Report Share Posted June 2, 2002 --- SHARK <news wrote: > Fri, 17 May 2002 07:26:02 -0700 (PDT) > SHARK <news > SHARK <news > [sharkonline] Media heroes and villains > > Dear Friends, > > When it comes to animal protection, the media can be > a nonhuman's best > friend, or its worst betrayer. Today I bring you > the stories of two very > different media entities. One, the Chicago > Sun-Times newspaper, demonstrates > a rare and refreshing degree of ethics and > responsibility. The other, CBS > News, demonstrates a shocking degree of arrogance > and complete disregard for > facts, and the worst violation of journalistic > ethics I have ever witnessed. > > First, here is the good news. On May 12, 2002, the > Chicago Sun-Times > included a picture of a small child falling off a > sheep at a rodeo. The > caption of the picture read as follows: > > " OOOPS! Five-year-old Anthony Grego of > Independence, Mo., falls as he comes > out of the gate in the mutton bustin' competition at > the Children's Rodeo in > South Kansas City, Mo. Children from Kansas City > rare schools competed in > the kids events, which kicks off this weekend's Twin > City Rider's Rodeo. " > > Obviously, this is not the good news part. In fact, > this was a terribly > fluffy representation of what is in fact cruelty to > animals and a danger to > children. Ironically, Sun-Times columnist Richard > Roeper wrote a column > decrying " mutton busting " only about a year ago, > based on the child > endangerment. > > SHARK volunteer Karen Rappaport saw the May 12 > picture and caption, and was > incensed. Karen wrote to the Sun-Times and set them > straight. She also > contacted Mr. Roeper, who likely took some > additional action. Here is the > good news part -- the Sun-Times' response > demonstrated journalistic > integrity, and a desire to do the right thing! > > The Sun-Times reprinted the picture of the boy > falling off the sheep, with > the following caption: > > " Anthony Grego, 5, of Independence, Mo., falls out > of the gate in a mutton > bustin' competition in South Kansas City last week. > Luckily, these > competitions are discouraged at rodeos in Illinois. " > > Beneath the caption is Karen Rappaport's letter, > decrying the cruelty and > danger of mutton busting. What an incredible > turnaround! The Sun-Times was > willing to take another look at the issue, and then > took appropriate action. > > You can thank the Sun-Times for its responsible > behavior at > letters. > > > Now, we must look at the opposite of journalistic > integrity - Dan Rather, CBS > News, and its president, Andrew Heyward. December > 28, 2001, the CBS News > program 48 Hours and its host Rathers did an > absolutely one-sided fluff piece > on rodeos. For an entire hour, rodeos were > glamorized across North America, > and the animal abuse and corruption of the Rodeo > Mafia was completely ignored. > > This was not a case of an ignorant CBS News team. > On the contrary, SHARK and > other organizations supplied CBS News with reams of > documentation, including > graphic video footage. The network also received > information from > veterinarian and former rodeo rider Peggy Larson. > CBS News interviewed me at > my home. Before, during and after the interview, I > made repeated attempts to > persuade CBS News to attend rodeos undercover to see > what really happens. I > offered to take them to some rodeos undercover if > needed, to point out what > really goes on. > > In the end, CBS News went ahead with what it > obviously intended to do all > along, which was to simply glorify rodeos. I > subsequently contacted CBS News > president Andrew Heyward, in an attempt to obtain a > public retraction and > apology. Heyward's response was that the CBS people > were " not convinced " by > our documentation. > > Not convinced? The documentation included video of > horrendous violence > against rodeo animals, injured and maimed victims, > and clear violations of > rodeo's own supposed humane rules. > > Again I wrote to Mr. Heyward, this time asking for a > meeting between he and > his staff, and rodeo investigators from around the > country, that we might > review the evidence. I wanted Mr. Heyward to point > out just what parts of > our documentation left him " not convinced. " > > Incredibly, Mr. Heyward's assistant now says he > considers the matter closed, > and he will not comment on it further. How the > president of CBS News could > allow such a completely one-sided, false story to > come out on his watch was > tough enough to understand. His claim that the > enormous amount of evidence > we supplied was unconvincing left us shaking our > heads in amazement. > Heyward's attempt to now hide under his desk in > order to escape > responsibility is simply mind-boggling. What is > this guy getting paid for? > > This is not the first time CBS News has produced a > story glorifying animal > abuse while completely disregarding the facts. In > the late 1990s, the CBS > News program 60 Minutes aired a fluff piece on > bullfighting. As with the 48 > Hours segment glamorizing rodeos, the 60 Minutes > fluff piece on bullfighting > was also devoid of any integrity whatsoever. > > However, the utter nonsense of the 60 Minutes piece > was a key ingredient that > prompted SHARK to go to Mexico posing as journalists > to film the horrible > truth of bullfighting. We did the job that CBS News > " journalists " obviously > could not / would not. As many of you know, our > footage uncovered the > involvement of soft drink giant Pepsi Cola as a > bullring sponsor. Our > subsequent campaign led to first Pepsi, and then its > competitor Coca-Cola to > end their longstanding sponsorships of bullrings, > along with a number of > other companies. > > Now CBS News is on the hot seat, and it will stay > there until it acts > appropriately. SHARK will expose CBS on as wide a > scale as possible, for as > long as needed. Their initial rodeo story was > indefensible. The reaction of > the president of CBS News only made things worse, > and now Heyward's intent to > slink away from the truth demonstrates not only a > lack of ethics, but also > cowardice. > > I hope that all animal protectors will recognize CBS > for what it is. CBS has > destroyed its credibility, and it should not be > treated with anything but > disdain until such time as it sets things right. > CBS News has betrayed not > only nonhuman rodeo victims, but also the very > concept of journalistic > integrity, and that betrayal includes the very top > of the CBS News chain of > command. > > SHARK has never been one to shy away from a > significant challenge, and CBS > News will prove no exception. Feel free to let CBS > News know what you think: > > Mr. Andrew Heyward, President > CBS News > 524 West 57th Street > New York, NY 10019-2985 > Phone: 212-975-7825 (direct line) > Fax: 212-975-1893 > > You can E-mail by logging on to: > > <http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml> > > As always, and especially now, please let us know > whatever CBS News has to > say. Until it does the right thing, anything CBS > News says can and will be > used against it. > > Kindest regards, > > Steve Hindi > SHARK > - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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