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."
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