Title: See how ABC honors America Source:
Mainetv.net URL Source:http://www.mainetv.net/abc.jpg Published:Jul 4, 2015 Author:Bob Celeste Post Date:2015-07-04 13:17:52 by BobCeleste Keywords:None Views:5300 Comments:29
A boycott of the ABC television network is encouraged because the executives at ABC news are said to have told reporters they could not wear American flag lapel pins or any other patriotic insignia. The network said that ABC should remain as neutral as possible.
The Truth:
Rumors that ABC News has banned American flag lapel pins have been swirling ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The claim was based in truth at one time, but it has drifted more toward fiction over the years.
The 9/11 attacks resulted in a wave of patriotism that had not been seen in decades. The shared enthusiasm for the country and flag were widespread.
It created difficulties for reporters, however, who try to professionally earn and keep peoples trust by avoiding personal partisan displays while reporting in the news. Many media outlets struggled to preserve their image as journalists while at the same time appearing unpatriotic in a time of crisis. Some journalists elected to wear American flag lapel pins on air, and the debate started.
CBS, NBC and CNN did not have a lapel pin policy in place before or after 9/11, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Reporters for those stations regularly wore American flag lapel pins on air while covering 9/11.
When word got out that ABC News had banned American flag lapel pins, the network became a lightning rod for criticism. However, the eRumor began to drift away from the truth almost immediately.
The network never specifically singled out American flag lapel pins it prohibited its reporters from wearing any lapel pin on the air.
Viral message claims ABC News has ordered reporters and news anchors not to wear American flag lapel pins or other patriotic insignia.
Description: Rumor / Viral message Circulating since: June 2008 Status: TRUE (in 2001) / MISREPRESENTED (see details below)
Example #1:
Email text contributed by an AOL user, June 25, 2008:
ABC News Bans Flag Lapel Pins
Yesterday, the brass at ABC News issued orders forbidding reporters to wear lapel pin American flags or other patriotic insignia. Their reasoning was that ABC should remain neutral about "causes".
Since when is support for preventing our death & destruction some sort of a "cause"? Since when is patriotism to be discouraged. I urge you to boycott ABC and its sponsors and affiliates. And those that advertise with them.
Were slowly losing everything our country stands for, and everything our men and women fought and died to preserve.
Please forward this to as many as you can.
Analysis: Please note that when the message above says ABC News banned flag lapel pins "yesterday," it's referring to a date in 2001. This was not a recent event.
And although it's true that ABC News instituted such a ban shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the network's stated reasons were more cogent than what is indicated above.
According to ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider, the network saw it as necessary to protect its reporters' credibility, as well as their personal safety abroad.
"We cannot signal through outward symbols how we feel, even if the cause is justified," he said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Overseas, it could be perceived that we're just mouthpieces for the U.S. government, and that can place our journalists in danger."
Fact check: Flag pin ban about bias, not patriotism
FACT: Media have long had policies on not wearing flair on-air.
By Carole Fader Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 4:45 am
Times-Union readers want to know:
Is it true that ABC has banned its employees from wearing flag pins?
Its baaaaaack.
This chain e-mail is once again making the rounds of e-mail inboxes. It first appeared after the Sept, 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when many Americans expressed their patriotism, and has cropped up from time to time since. It does not refer to a current event.
Essentially, the e-mail is true. But a few clarifications must be made.
Journalists usually do not wear pins, ribbons or any other symbol that might compromise their credibility as objective, impartial recorders of events. News departments of television stations have long had a practice or policy that on-air personnel should not display partisan adornments, including patriotic ones.
After 9/11, Snopes.com reports, some network news journalists expressed a desire to bend that rule, setting off a national debate on the subject:
According to ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider, the network saw it as necessary to protect its reporters' credibility, as well as their personal safety abroad.
"We cannot signal through outward symbols how we feel, even if the cause is justified," he said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Overseas, it could be perceived that we're just mouthpieces for the U.S. government, and that can place our journalists in danger."
Really? NBC did. They cancelled Trump over his immigration comments. Sure does look like they're taking a stand on a hot-button political issue.
Just to clarify, your quote was of ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider.
Making a business decision is not the same as wearing a lapel pin. MSNBC got so politically one-sided that it forgot about news, and viewers forgot about MSNBC.
I am sure they made a business decision in hiring Donald Trump that he would make them money. Their ultra-liberal "news" operations might lose viewership (if possible) by retaining Trump, or gain viewership by bashing Trump. It might be awkward to retain Trump and bash Trump at the same time.
If everyone at NBC donned a flag pin, I'm not sure it would say anything at all.
Some say that people who dont wear American flag lapel pins are just as patriotic as those who do.
They say its no more a sign of ones love for his country or its flag than an Alpo logo on a stock car drivers uniform is a sign that he eats dog food.
Theyre wrong, of course.
If it werent for lapel pins, it would be terribly hard to know who among us are the patriots and who are the slackers.
Take Dick Cheney, for instance. Based on his five draft deferments and his statement that he had other priorities rather than serve in the military during the Vietnam War, you might wonder just how deep his commitment is to defending America from the forces of evil.
But Cheney proudly wears an American flag pin in his lapel, proving that he is not only deeply patriotic but also somewhat of an authority on the subject, having questioned the patriotism of triple amputee Max Cleland, who made the big mistake of supporting John Kerry, another shirker who shunned the rigors of Laramie, Wyo., for the relative safety of the Mekong River Delta.
I dont mean to criticize Cheney for going to great lengths to avoid military service. Almost anybody who has been there will tell you that getting shot at is not pleasant. Also, avoiding military service is part of our glorious tradition, and obtaining college deferments or hiding in the National Guard is certainly more respectable than paying a poor kid to go in your place like they used to do.
"Just to clarify, your quote was of ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider."
Yes. So I guess you're saying he was speaking only of ABC journalists and ABC network philosophy? I got the impression it was more generalized than that.
"Making a business decision is not the same as wearing a lapel pin."
It is if they're done for political reasons. And Trump was fired for his statement on immigration.
"It might be awkward to retain Trump and bash Trump at the same time."
Well, let's be honest here. Trump is not legally allowed to keep his show on NBC if he's running for President. Whether he cancelled NBC or NBC cancelled him is a moot point.
"If it werent for lapel pins, it would be terribly hard to know who among us are the patriots and who are the slackers."
Sure. Just like if it wasn't for AIDS ribbons and Breast Cancer ribbons we wouldn't know who really cares more than others.
Yes. So I guess you're saying he was speaking only of ABC journalists and ABC network philosophy? I got the impression it was more generalized than that.