Media Activists,

Action is needed. Read the communications between Diane Walker and a good friend of mine, and see how this fox news reporter responds. When she could not respond, she simply tried to appeal to April’s fear to get her to stop by saying that she would call the police if a member of the public wrote her about their news practices. If you are as concerned as I, you can drop her a message of your own at dwalker-AT-nbc12.com and let her know that you read the correspondence and that too want an answer to why they report like they do. If a thousand people send one quick email in the next couple of days, we can send a strong message of public accountability with the news media.

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From: Scott
Subject: FOX / NBC
To: dwalker-AT-nbc12.com

Diane,

After reading your correspondence with April King (a well respected and intelligent individual who wrote you about your broadcasts), I am shocked that you could (or would) not even respond to her valid concerns at your agency's (seemly) deliberate action of ignoring important issues in the community and focusing on tabloid news. Is your "National Enquirer" type of broadcasting your intentional style? Enquiring minds want to know.

Scott Larson, MA
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April Kung wrote: Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 06:08:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: April Kung
Subject: RE: Fox News Richmond
To: dwalker-AT-nbc12.com, Comments-AT-foxnews.com, cautry-AT-nbc12.com

I had no intention of emailing Fox news again. It is obviously a lost cause since you clearly do not care. But, in response to your last email, I am compelled to inform you that expressing one's opinion in a democracy, especially to a public figure working for a media organization that claims to want to know what the public thinks, is not against the law.
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dwalker-AT-nbc12.com wrote:

April,

This e-mail exchange is no longer productive. Do not e-mail me anymore. I will report you to the authorities if you do.

--diane

Diane Walker
News Anchor Reporter, Fox 35, NBC12
5710 Midlothian Turnpike
Richmond, Va. 23225
(804) 230-2620
dwalker-AT-nbc12.com

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From: April Kung [@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 4:32 PM
To: Comments-AT-foxnews.com; Diane Walker; Curt Autry
Subject: RE: Fox News Richmond

In other words, you mean - you see no shortcomings with your "news reporting" and feel no sense of responsibility as a news reporter to provide your audience with the type of information that is essential for a true democracy.

Considering the fact that every other major news network is racing Fox news to the bottom - you are as ignorant as you hope your viewers if you believe this is a democracy any longer.

I hadn't much hope when I emailed originally, and reading your response now, I have none whatsoever that anyone at Fox has the depth or intellectual honesty to recognize the travesty it is when, in a so-called "free country," those with the honor and responsibility of enabling healthy democratic processes, gleefully and arrogantly impede them instead by prostituting themselves to their advertisers at the expense of the people, and then affronting those who protest with a smug flippancy that's equivalent to saying, "well, let them eat cake."

All those lives given in the name of freedom so that you could proudly tell the world about P Diddy, and that if they don't like it to find their news elsewhere. Oh, if only Hitler were alive today, boy, there's no telling what he could get away with!

No, thank you, I can see quite clearly the buck doesn't stop here, and I have made my last mistake in this arena. Until I learn from an intelligent source that real news and real news reporters have returned, I am done with Fox completely.

Though, as you seem perfectly content with the situation, go on and enjoy your life reporting on all the important and fascinating goings-on in Disney Land, and please do tell Dopey I said hello. Just remember, history neither remembers nor mourns the passing of caricatures. But then again, caricatures just don't give a damn, do they Diane?
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dwalker-AT-nbc12.com wrote:
April,

I'd love to have you as a regular viewer, however, it appears your mind is already made up.
This is a democracy and you are free to choose where you get your news.

I hope you continue to "occasionally watch us.

--diane


Diane Walker
News Anchor Reporter, Fox 35, NBC12
5710 Midlothian Turnpike
Richmond, Va. 23225
(804) 230-2620
dwalker-AT-nbc12.com

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From: April Kung [ @yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 2:01 PM
To: Comments-AT-foxnews.com; Diane Walker; Curt Autry
Subject: Fox News Richmond


Ever since moving to Richmond several years ago I have made the occasional unfortunate mistake of wasting an evening watching Fox News at 10. Each time I find myself equally disgusted by the nonsense that your network parades as "news."

Material concerning Madonna's fall from a horse, Dick Clark's plans for next New Year's eve, the fact that P Diddy is shortening his name to just plain "Diddy," a boat made entirely from popsicle sticks, people getting married at fast-food drive-throughs... What purpose do any of these stories serve that, in any way, justifies them as news?

And how do you justify your status as a news program in an alleged democracy while wasting valuable air-time on such irrelevant and inane drivel while serious issues that affect the lives of Americans go unmentioned and unquestioned?

What does it matter that administrators of a local elementary school altered SOL test answers if news programs such as yours do nothing to foster the development of, and inform, an educated and critical thinking audience?

What of the new energy bill and its impact on the people of this country and the world? Who benefits from these new policies and who loses? Why? What do the opponents and proponents of the bill have to say about it and what the long term ramifications might be?

Ten seconds on the Israeli pull-out of the Gaza Strip certainly left no time for any discussion on the position of the PA, nor on questions such as Israeli policy and activities on the West Bank.

What light can possibly be shed on Britain's anti-terrorism proposals, or the potential privatization of India's water, or carcinogenic rBGH in the nation's milk supply, or any number of ongoing worldwide and national conundrums while you clowns are blathering about the latest shade of lipstick, the length of Britany Spear's toenails or whatever new absurdity your team has planned to wow us hapless viewers with next?

As professionals in the field of journalism, every person on staff at Fox news should be deeply ashamed of themselves for their complicity in allowing the standards of news reporting in America to sink to this level.

Sincerely,
April Kung