Sunday, September 04, 2005

fox news katrina coverage and music

dear fox news,

we are not regular fox news channel viewers. however, the heroic reporting, especially from the outstanding shepherd smith had us sadly riveted and moved beyond words. we have now just returned home to washington, d.c from a weekend away this sunday evening, and now find a very different coverage of the aftermath of hurrican katrina, one that is being accompanied by 'sad' music.

how obnoxious! this isn't hollywood! i didn't hear music at all last week when the real story was unfolding before our eyes. now that people have begun to be relocated to shelters, we are left with the 'good' and the 'positive' spin. is the playing of funereal music supposed to comfort us? the american people don't need soft music to make them feel better. i thought you were a news channel, not a conduit for bad movie music. the reporting of the good now coming from this story is being totally diluted by the addition of 'sad' music.

you think it appropriate to add sad music at this time, or is this to make the american people help forget the horror of last week? either way, it's plain wrong and as far from journalism as you can get. good news and bad news don't need music. to my knowledge, you haven't been playing music when reporting death and destruction in baghdad....

i trust you will now be adopting a similar strategy for every disaster, not only at home but also abroad from now on. however, you will not be watched in this household. what a disappointment; for a week, you reminded me of the bbc.

mark solomon
washington, d.c.

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