Corporation for Public Broadcasting Report: 'No Hint of Balance in Breaking the Silence'

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/2005/1...roadcasting.ht
m

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Report: 'No Hint of Balance in Breaking
the Silence'
CPB notes: it had no role in reviewing research, production or content; CPB
ombudsmen involved only post-broadcast.

MND NEWSWIRE - The Corporation for Public Broadcasting released a report
Tuesday which endorsed the central charges made by fatherhood advocates
protesting PBS's film Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories. CPB
Ombudsman Ken A. Bode declared that there is "no hint of balance in Breaking
the Silence." Bode noted:
"The father's point of view is ignored as are new strategies for lessening
the damage to children in custody battles. There is no mention of the
collaborative law movement in which parents and lawyers come to terms
without involving the court, nor of the new joint custody living
arrangements.

"The producers apparently do not subscribe to the idea that an argument can
be made more convincing by giving the other side a fair presentation. To be
sure, one comes away from viewing the program with the feeling that custody
fights are a special hell, legally, emotionally, psychologically. But this
broadcast is so slanted as to raise suspicions that either the family courts
of America have gone crazy or there must be another side to the story."

CPB's report praised PBS's decision to put the program under official
review, noting that the film "needs to be reviewed for accuracy, fairness
and balance."

The report also criticized the Mary Kay Ash Foundation, which gave $500,000
towards the production of the film and is reportedly "providing a stipend so
that every battered women's organization in the country can put on private
screenings of this film for their local judges and legislators." Bode noted:

"If so, PBS may find it has been the launching pad for a very partisan
effort to drive public policy and law."

Bode's decision was praised by two of the protest campaign's leaders,
newspaper columnist Glenn Sacks and Ned Holstein, president of Fathers and
Families. Sacks noted:

"Breaking the Silence is so flawed and extreme that any fair reviewer will
see the merits of our claims. Bode looked at the information objectively,
instead of ideologically, and got it right."

CPB's full report can be read here. For more information on the campaign
against Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories, click here. To contact Ken
A. Bode, click here.


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Liberalism: that haunting fear that someone,
somewhere, can help themselves without
Government intervention.

This is great news and I wish to compliment Glenn Sacks on his efforts and
the efforts of others that were involved in bring this to the attention
of CPB.

Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on PBS.

b.

wrote in

Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on PBS.


Hear, Hear! A daily blurb for 2 weeks should suffice to correct the dis
information that was transmitted to millions.

DB wrote:
wrote in

Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on PBS.


Hear, Hear! A daily blurb for 2 weeks should suffice to correct the dis
information that was transmitted to millions.

I hope that happens but I bet it does not. The best thing would be a
congressional investigation into PBS, which is supposed to be objective
and fair. The news media might actually cover that.

wrote in message
oups.com...

DB wrote:
wrote in

Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on
PBS.


Hear, Hear! A daily blurb for 2 weeks should suffice to correct the dis
information that was transmitted to millions.

I hope that happens but I bet it does not. The best thing would be a
congressional investigation into PBS, which is supposed to be objective
and fair. The news media might actually cover that.

It might even make make C-Span..

Dusty wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

DB wrote:
wrote in

Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on
PBS.


Hear, Hear! A daily blurb for 2 weeks should suffice to correct the dis
information that was transmitted to millions.

I hope that happens but I bet it does not. The best thing would be a
congressional investigation into PBS, which is supposed to be objective
and fair. The news media might actually cover that.


All that belling aching and just what did you bitter twitters acheive?

Dusty wrote:
Wednesday, November 30, 2005

http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/2005/1...roadcasting.ht
m

I was unable to find this article nor was I able to find any PBreport.
Do you have another source?


(edit)

"Hyerdahl" wrote in

All that belling aching and just what did you bitter twitters acheive?

Oh, it achieved more than you know and did even more damage to any
ligitimate women's causes!

One thing is did put a halt to, PBS will never again be able to be used as a
vehicle for propaganda BS!!!!!!

In alt.support.divorce wrote:

: DB wrote:
: wrote in
:
: Now, I'd like to see a forced correction to the "facts" that were
: erroneously presented in "Breaking the Silence" to be screened on PBS.
:
:
: Hear, Hear! A daily blurb for 2 weeks should suffice to correct the dis
: information that was transmitted to millions.

: I hope that happens but I bet it does not. The best thing would be a
: congressional investigation into PBS, which is supposed to be objective
: and fair. The news media might actually cover that.

Looks like there's progress in that area:

PBS Ombudsman Joins CPB in Condemning Breaking the Silence

PBS's new ombudsman Michael Getler has joined Corporation for Public Broadcasting Ombudsman Ken A. Bode in criticizing Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories, noting the film's "complete absence of some of the fundamental journalistic conventions" that give a film credibility. Getler noted:

"My assessment, as a viewer and as a journalist, is that this was a flawed presentation by PBS... PBS and CPTV were their own worst enemy and diminished the impact and usefulness of the examination of a real issue by what did, indeed, come across as a one-sided, advocacy program...there was no recognition of opposing views on this program...

"This presentation made no concession to the viewer and to the legitimate questions one would have or expect. Not only were no fathers heard from to state their side of the individual stories presented, there was no explanation [with one exception] as to whether the producers even tried to get their views...

"The studies that one presumes back up the statistics stated on the program are not cited. Research that Lasseur uses to back up the program in his response to critics is not cited in the film; nor are the statistics cited by critics...this particular program had almost no balance, and went too far, turning it, at least in my mind, into more of an advocacy, or point-of-view, presentation...

"PBS, to its credit, is taking these challenges seriously and is reviewing the research that went in to the program and the conclusions drawn, and has promised a response to these challenges early in December."

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Ombudsman Ken A. Bode issued a report last week in which he criticized Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories, saying that there is "no hint of balance in Breaking the Silence." Bode also noted the need for PBS to examine the program, noting that the film "needs to be reviewed for accuracy, fairness and balance."

b.

DB wrote:
"Hyerdahl" wrote in

All that belling aching and just what did you bitter twitters acheive?

Oh, it achieved more than you know and did even more damage to any
ligitimate women's causes!

Like what?

One thing is did put a halt to, PBS will never again be able to be used as a
vehicle for propaganda BS!!!!!!

PBS hasn't indicated they would change anything they choose to
publicize. What makes you think they won't even put it on again? I
do find it amusing, tho, that you bitter boys vainly imagine anything
has changed.