Pathetic CBS journalism on GA airport security

Don't tell us; tell them

I did.

Better yet: tell their advertisers

hmmm...that's an idea.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

"Ron Lee" wrote in message
...
| Thanks for the heads up. It is amazing that what should be a
| reputable news organization resorts to uninformed trashing of GA
| airport security.

"Reputable news organization" is an oxymoron.

Ok, I admit I may have gone a bit overboard, but I had to respond to CBS on
this one...

----------------------------------------------------
I find it disheartening that CBS News has degenerated to using scare tactics to
boost ratings with the story on "Are Local Airports Terror Targets?" The
freedom to "come and go as you please" is presented as something that should
scare the average person. We also live in a society where you are free to drive
your SUV anywhere without the government tracking you, despite the fact that
there could be explosives hidden in it. You can rent a truck without a
background check, despite the fact that they have been used in horrific
terrorist acts. You can even run television stories that suggest methods for
performing terrorism to potential terrorists, as CBS has just done this
evening.

Vulnerability may be a price we pay for general aviation's freedom, but it is
also a price we pay for having a free society overall, and even a price we pay
for having a free press. Before you go too far in attacking freedoms in the
name of safety, it would be wise to examine your own role in communicating
these ideas, and in making our country more vulnerable.

Your story advocates cutting the freedoms of others in the name of security. I,
for one, would not advocate putting a muzzle on the media with legal
restrictions, although I do believe that those restrictions would lead to a
more secure country. More important than security is freedom, and those
restrictions would be an attack on the freedom of speech which is a core part
of American society. I do however, advocate a media that behaves more
responsibly.

Perhaps the best way to address security at the nation's airports is to enlist
the more than 600,000 pilots across the country to responsibly observe the
actions at those airports. Afterall, these are the people most likely to know
when something is amiss. In fact, the Aircraft Owner's and Pilot's Association
has already enacted programs that protect our airports and the public. There
was no mention of this in your reporting.

Sadly, CBS news has shown very little regard for its responsibility in
reporting the news. First, you have resported to scare tactics to pump up
ratings with the tagline for the story. Second, you are spreading information
about how to potentially conduct terrorist acts to the general public. Third,
in your closing statement regarding freedoms as something to be afraid of, you
have shown little regard for the concept of personal freedom, and little
respect for the unique characteristics of American society.

I hope that CBS learns to act more responsibly when choosing the subject
matter, the tone, and the wording of its stories. Failure to act responsibly
could result in the public calling for the very same restrictions on the media
that you advocate on general aviation. The exact structure of your arguments in
today's story can be used to attack any of the freedoms this country has, as
illustrated below in a story that fortunately is fictional. I hope that I never
have to read a story such as this in the media, just as I hope to see less
biased reporting on future stories covering aviation.

Sincerely,
Eric Bartsch

-----------------------Fictional News Story
----------------------------------------

Are TV News Shows Unwitting Advocates of Terror Plots?

They are a growing trend in news programs: scare-tactic reporting about
hypothetical situations that could result in terrorist acts.

"Every country in the world has access to these media stories through the
internet and TV these days" says John Doe, a news industry expert.

Subjects include the dangers of general aviation, the usage of bioterror
weapons, nuclear hazards, and the media is free to spread these stories as they
please with no regulation whatsoever.

"There's really no security is having these ideas, along with details on how to
foil current security measures, broadcast to hundreds of millions of people"
says Doe.

And, as this journalist has discovered, that's the fear. These media programs,
like CBS news, are an open education to terrorists worldwide.

"I think it's a real concern," says John Doe. "I think it's a possibility."

There are more than 100,000,000 television sets in the United States alone, and
more than 100,000 journalists in the country. There are no regulations on
acuracy of stories, bias, or even the nature of the story itself. More
shockingly, these reporters can use scare tactics to drive up their ratings and
profitability, while at the same time spreading dangerous information or
disinformation.

Since Sept.11, 2001, the government has not ordered CBS News to make any
changes to these stories.

Would-be stories are not screened by any government agency, says John Doe.

"We haven't really implemented any kind of regulations, or even peer reviews to
ensure responsible reporting," says Doe.

Doe says he tries to keep a close watch on the media and internet, but former
FBI director Jane Smith says, that's not security.

"Homeland Security has to make policing the media a priority," says Smith.
"They've got to develop a program, and they're going to have to spend some
money on it."

He says terrorists are well aware of the media as a source of information on
vulnerabilities.

"That's where they get their idas," says Smith. "We know the terrorists watched
television and used the internet."

"We know that all of the Sept. 11 terrorists watched television in the days
before their attacks."

Some argue that there's no need to worry because terrorists could do the
research to uncover vulnerabilities themselves. But the easy access to this
information certainly makes us less safe.

"A media story on homeland security is virutally untrackable, there is no way
to know if it will suddenly be read by members of a terrorist cell, and there's
nothing we can do about it," says Smith.

After Sept. 11, a journalist at a respected media source was even demonstrating
to be fabricating his stories. Authorities tracked the impact of these stories
on public opinion but admitted they were powerless to undo the damage. Just as
they are powerless to undo the damage of scare-tactic reporting on public
opinion.

But two years later, there've been no mandated changes to ensure that the media
doesn't distribute dangerous information.

"We need to make it a real concern and deal with it and try as best we can so
that it will never happen," says Doe.

Until then, vulnerability will be the price for the freedom of the press.

I forgot to add the link to their version of the story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in593216.shtml

"Bartscher" wrote in message
...
|
| Until then, vulnerability will be the price for the freedom of the press.

It is obvious that a free press has become a greater liability than an
asset.

"C J Campbell" wrote:
It is obvious that a free press has become a greater liability
than an asset.

And your solution is...?
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

"Dan Luke" wrote in message
...
| "C J Campbell" wrote:
| It is obvious that a free press has become a greater liability
| than an asset.
|
| And your solution is...?

Make it a federal offense to lie in public or (because CBS didn't actually
lie) to say anything I don't like. :-)

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

"Bartscher" wrote in message
...
|
| Until then, vulnerability will be the price for the freedom of the
press.

It is obvious that a free press has become a greater liability than an
asset.

Especially a press that confuses "liberty" with "license".

"C J Campbell" |
| Until then, vulnerability will be the price for the freedom of the
press.

It is obvious that a free press has become a greater liability than an
asset.

Not so obvious here.

..... but thanks for a break from the dry heaves

That is very finely written, Eric. I sent my own missive to CBS today, but
it's quality pales when compared to yours. Good job!