This is a letter sent to ABC News. Write your own at <A HREF="http://abcnews.go.com/onair/email.html" TARGET=_blank>http://abcnews.go.com/onair/email.html</A> <BR>If you missed it, check out <A HREF="http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/nra001009.html" TARGET=_blank>http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/nra001009.html</A> <P>Please write ABC News and express your opinions.<P>LETTER<P>About six weeks ago, Walter Cronkite was interviewed by Larry King. At the end of the interview, King asked Cronkite what he found to be the biggest change in journalism from when Cronkite was the voice of America. Cronkite answered that objectivity was no longer the mantra to which journalists aspired, and bemoaned that the opinions of the journalist often stand in the way of reporting the facts. <P>After watching Peter Jennings on 20/20 last night, I can only conclude that Mr. Jennings does not aspire to Mr. Cronkite's lofty standards. The story on the NRA was as blatant an example of biased journalism as I have ever seen. From Mr. Jennings' tone of voice, to the wording of his questions, to the panoply of video clips, isolated pictures of text, and sound bytes, not to speak of Mr. Jennings' ingracious interjections, counterposed to the face and voice of one solitary man, the report (if so it can be called) was nothing less than a lynching! <P>The point here is not to take sides on the issue of guns in our society. The issue here is to remind the press, and most especially someone of Mr. Jennings visibility, of their sacred duty to report the facts, and NOT to promote policy or personal issues in the name of journalism. <P>Mr. Jennings' final statement of the program says it all. To paraphrase: <P>"In four weeks we will get a chance to vote. We will see if the NRA is able to decide this election. If one side wins, it will mean that NRA members voted solely based on this one issue. If the other, it will mean that they were able to consider all the issues." <P>This statement is appalling. It implies, first of all, that a fair consideration of all the issues can ONLY lead to one choice in the election, namely, Al Gore. It also implies that any NRA member who chooses to vote Republican is incapable of or refuses to consider all of the issues. It also informs us all of Mr. Jennings preference in this election. BIG surprise. I doubt if Mr. Cronkite ever stooped so low! <P>Mr. Jennings may be well dressed, well paid, and well known. He is not, however, by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly not by Walter Cronkite's definition, any kind of a REPORTER. <P>That takes a level of objectivity, intellectual honesty, and devotion to the FACTS that conflicts too dearly with Mr. Jennings' paycheck. <P>Mr. Jennings, you have sold your soul. <P>ABC News, you should be ashamed. <P>Rick Bin <A HREF="https://www.24hourcampfire.com" TARGET=_blank>https://www.24hourcampfire.com</A> <BR>
