I am appealing to the Organization of News Ombudsmen to try and curtail the political bias that is compromising the integrity of both our news organizations and our democratic electoral process. Never in my life have I seen more examples of members of the media trying to use their soapboxes to try and influence their audience. The vast majority of the news stories and commentaries that have filled the airwaves, newspapers, and magazines covering the run-up to this years elections have shown both subtle and overt slant and favoritism to push candidates that those who comprise the media feel are acceptable. Where are the journalistic standards? Where are the Ombudsmen?

More than any other group or organization those reporting the news are trying to play kingmaker, winnowing out candidates that they are opposed to, and limiting the reporting to what they feel is important. Their combined reporting, or lack thereof, essentially gives cost free and unbalanced advertising that has the ability to support one candidate over another. They proclaim candidates to be THE voice of a particular subset of the American people, or of a specific cause, while marginalizing anyone who could also validly make that claim. They over-emphasize minor negatives about one candidate while glossing over the same (or worse) negatives in another. They misquote or misinterpret the platforms of one candidate to prop up another. They are placing labels on candidates which are unwarranted, indefensible, and inexplicable. They are not showing accuracy, fairness, or balance. Where are the Ombudsmen?

The current state of affairs from the media is doing nothing less than endangering the ability of the American populace to make clear and uncompromised decisions about who they will elect to lead this country. Anyone who is paying the slightest attention to the primary races this year can clearly see the lack of credibility of our media through their blatant bias and lack of balance. What are the Ombudsmen doing?

This is causing an epiphany among many audiences who are learning that our news organizations are no less slanted than that of the desires of the owners and advertisers who pay the bills. These audiences are tuning out, and giving up on "news" sources which try to manipulate and control their audience through selective control of information. The same reporters who push people to seek alternate routes to unbiased (or at least honestly and openly biased) sources of the news label the disenfranchised as fringe followers; simply because they do not agree with their spin. Are those reporters hearing the concerns of their shrinking audience? Are the Ombudsmen relating the consequences of these actions to their reporters?

Many of these biases in action are so blatant and odious that complaints are being made to the FCC that among other things these biased reportings are not in the best interest of the American people. These reportings are in fact trying to swing the American populace to vote for an anointed slate of candidates based on limited information and half truths. While the organizations which report the news are free enterprises and have a right to report as they wish, if they continue down this path they will surely continue to compromise themselves, their audience, and the welfare of our political process. The Ombudsmen can and should stand up and speak out to rectify this problem.

While reporters and news agencies may say that they are acting in the public interest by simplifying and narrowing choices, their opinion could not be further from the truth. An open and free debate is integral to freedom, an informed free choice is the lifeblood of our democratic republic. Some individuals have put in significant effort into supporting their favored candidate, seeing that candidate marginalized by an agency or reporter showing bias is both insulting and angering. These individuals feel that our society is being controlled by a few biased voices, and some become angry enough to act out in ways that are unwise or that cause reporters to feel threatened. By ensuring a fair process Ombudsmen can minimize these confrontations, rather than letting them fester. If America is to remain a free society, to continue to have a free and unfettered press, then our news Ombudsmen must act to minimize a lack of journalistic integrity.

While it has in one way or another happened to almost all of the candidates I can see no better example of the destructive bias I am talking about than that which is used to minimize and ignore the campaign of Republican candidate Ron Paul. In spite of an effective blackout by major media sources, and parroted derogatory catch phrases by the minor media players, Dr. Paul has continued to make headway and build support. In many ways his followers have proven that the blackout against him is illegitimate, he has after all outperformed many others who were given much more free positive P.R. by the media. While I will not try to sell the O.N.O. on Dr. Paul, I will say they should unequivocally work to ensure that their audiences are treated with respect as regards their ability to make up their own minds. All candidates should be reported on using the same set of journalistic standards, if for no other reason that if they are not applied equally and fairly how can anyone dare call them standards?

In sum; I urge the Organization of News Ombudsmen to work to uphold the integrity of the Journalistic Standards, which their organization is founded upon, as it applies to all candidates and news stories involved in the American political process. Not doing so will prove to have negative consequences for all.

Respectfully,
Chad Underdonk

I included information on contacting the ONO and Mrs. Platt it's President. If you decide to contact them, please do so in a respectful manner, they are not writing or reporting these stories. The position of media Ombudsmen is intended to give a voice to the news audiences, and to guide news agencies in acting in a manner that upholds Journalistic Standards.

---Chad_Underdonk

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Rage against the Machine columnist: Chad_Underdonk

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Rage against the Machine
columnist: Chad_Underdonk