Despite Protests, PBS Stands by Anti-Family Program

Despite Protests, PBS Stands by Anti-Family Program

http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/2005/1...nds-by-anti.ht
m

Washington, DC - A confidential PBS memo reassured station affiliates that
"PBS stands by the broadcast" of Breaking the Silence, despite protests by
thousands of concerned viewers around the country.
The one-hour program, released by PBS this past Thursday, purports to be an
exposé of how the court system ignores children subjected to parental abuse.

But the program makes a number of claims about child abuse and custody that
are refuted by government reports. Critics wonder whether Breaking the
Silence underwent fact-checking or content review by PBS executives.

Breaking the Silence asserts that parental alienation syndrome "has been
thoroughly debunked" by the American Psychological Association. But Rhea
Farberman, spokeswoman for the APA, recently labeled the PBS claim as
"incorrect" and "inaccurate." Over 25 counselors and psychologists are now
calling on PBS to invite qualified mental health experts to give "a more
accurate and complete view of parental alienation syndrome."

"Breaking the Science would have been a far more appropriate title for this
misleading program," says RADAR analyst Mark Rosenthal, who explains the
filmmakers handpicked the examples to lead viewers to a false conclusion.


Michael McCormick, director of the American Coalition for Fathers and
Children, expressed the concern that in the PBS show, "Balance was
sacrificed to the political agenda of the sponsors."


The program was supported by a $500,000 grant by the Mary Kay Ash
Foundation, which has sponsored prior TV programs that misrepresent domestic
violence research.

RADAR is calling on PBS affiliates to not air Breaking the Silence until the
program content can be revised to conform to accepted journalistic standards
of accuracy and objectivity.


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