Anita & Colleagues,
This is the result of the President's Advisory Council that was formed last year. This is something Carole Pardun wanted to do and spoke on during the business meeting last August in Baltimore. While the statement does not necessarily offend me, I find the choice of topic for the release dubious at best. I can think of lots of equally or more demanding issues on which AEJMC could have taken a position: I may be mistaken but this is the first stance for the committee. If it is the first, it has failed miserably in my opinion. If not, I'd like to see any previous statementsBut why not:
1. Fox news as abandoning the practice of journalism in favor of right-wing advocacy?
2. A statement on the hypocrisy of the tea parties?
3. The Arizona immigration law
4. The ongoing lying and hypocrisy of the Republican members of Congress (and some Democrats too)?
5. Heck, there is a proposed bill in Michigan that would bar journalists from covering certain politics events without taking some sort of test or obtaining a "license"--a true slap at First Amendment rights of journalists. (I've just brought this to the attention of the PF&R Committee)?
6. Did I mention the Arizona immigration law?
7. Sarah Palin--when has she held a press conference?
8. That Rand Paul guy in Kentucky and his position on civil rights?
9. BP (and its response) and the oil spill in the gulf? Or was this penned two months ago?
My last question is, what do we say/do in response to this? Can committees within AEJMC respond to its own leadership or issue its own position statements? I don't know who is on this so-called presidential advisory committee, but there statement does not represent my concern or perspective and I am approaching outrage when I think about all of the more central issues that were ignored over this false outrage over Presicent Obama's lack of pressers.
Dwight
Dwight E. Brooks, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
School of Journalism
College of Mass Communication
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Tel: 615 494-8925
e-mail: [log in to unmask]