Tell CNBC the economy is not a game...

March 17, 2009 Dear Fred, Last week, Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, took Jim Cramer and CNBC to task. As Stewart told Cramer, "You knew what the banks were doing, and yet were touting it for months and months. The entire network was." Stewart's showdown with Cramer was entertaining and thought-provoking television to say the least. It clearly demonstrated the need for CNBC to commit to making real, lasting change. That is why we need your help. >> Sign the petition and demand CNBC stop acting like a PR firm for Wall Street and instead fulfill its journalistic obligation to the truth. Yesterday, I joined several prominent writers, journalism professors, economists, media critics, and progressive leaders in signing a letter demanding that CNBC take substantial steps toward fixing its broken network. Among many others, the letter was signed by co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research Dean Baker, Columbia University journalism professor Todd Gitlin, president of the Economic Policy Institute Lawrence Mishel, economist at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Sylvia Allegretto, and senior economist at the Center for American Progress Heather Boushey. By joining in our call for change at CNBC today, you can send a powerful message to the nation's premier financial news network. Rather than fulfill its crucial role as a journalistic outlet seeking the truth, CNBC instead abdicated its responsibility to the American people in favor of years of uncritical repetition of spin by Wall Street CEOs. This denied the public accurate information about the causes of the current economic crisis, its consequences, and the effectiveness of proposed solutions. >> Sign the petition and demand CNBC stop acting like a PR firm for Wall Street and instead fulfill its journalistic obligation to the truth. CNBC should publicly declare a drastic change of direction, committing to responsible journalism in an effort to hold Wall Street accountable in the future. As a first step, it should bring new economic voices on the air with a focus on those who were right about this crisis in the first place. The stakes are too high for CNBC to continue acting as the unofficial mouthpiece of Wall Street. This is not a game. Together we can bring about the much-needed change we seek. That is why it is so important that you sign this petition today and then encourage your friends, family and co-workers to do the same. Thank you for your continued support. Eric Burns President Media Matters for America P.S. Don't forget to enlist your friends, family, and co-workers in this fight to change CNBC. Be sure to contact them and ask that they sign the petition as well. Sources: · Letter from Media Matters, journalism professors, economists, media critics, and other progressive leaders in demanding changes at CNBC -- PCCC · Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer: The Extended Daily Show Interview Videos -- Comedy Central   © 2009 Media Matters for America 1625 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036