CALL TO ACTION: New Hampshire Public Radio promotes Repub talking point that Dems have presented no plan for Iraq of their own!
STATION WON'T CORRECT DEMONSTRABLY FALSE STATEMENT BECAUSE I'M THE ONLY COMPLAINTANT!!!
CALL TO ACTION
Around 7:50am today (2/5/07)Reporter Lisa Peekes read on New Hampshire Public Radio a promo/tease for upcoming segment on Democratic Presidential candidates. She said something like: The Democrats have criticized President Bush's plan for Iraq, but have yet to come up with a plan of their own. We will talk to potential Democratic candidates after the news about that and other issues here on NHPR.
I called to complain. After listening to the tape and reading the copy, NHPR Program Manager called me back and confirmed that Lisa Peekes did indeed say "the Democrats have yet to come up with a plan of their own."
I pointed out that Murtha, Kerry/Feingold, Kuscinich, and now Barack Obama have each presented plans---with the Kerry/Feingold plan being extremely detailed and available on-line---so that Lisa Peekes statement was demonstrably false. I also pointed out that it was presented as fact that the Dems had not come up with a plan of their own.
Program Manager Abby (didn't get last name) said that Ms. Peekes had misread the copy which was written at National Public Radio. I asked if she thought Lisa Peekes believed that the Dems had not come up with a plan of their own, to which Abby said no, it was more a situation of the reporter not being prepared adequately. She added that it was just a promo, she would keep better eye on Ms. Peekes, but you can't take back the words.
I suggested that the station could issue a correction of the demonstrably false statement presented as fact in that promo. Abby said that the thing was those corrections just create more attention to the mistake, so it is better to not do anything.
I stated that there are thousands of people who heard that promo, which stated as fact something that was demonstrably false. They deserve a correction. Abby said that I was the only person who had complained, so she will discuss a correction with the news department, but wouldn't promise anything. I said the mistake you don't want to call attention to is one of the station's own mistakes, and the mistake presents as fact a demonstrably false statement that the Dems have not yet come up with a plan.
Abby hung up on me. Station Number 603-228-8910
Anyone from New Hampshire or listening to NHPR on web, please call Program Manager and complain bitterly! Don't interrupt her when she speaks, because she will deem that hostile and hang up on you.
Please consider recommending this for more exposure: this is how false talking points get established in the public's mind. Little promos like this state something false as a fact. And radio stations claiming to operate in the public interest who refuse to issue a correction because a) it will call attention to her own mistake, and b) only one person had complained.