Fuck our so-called free press. I mean it. Fuck them. Fuck them for their presumed authenticity. Fuck them for not fulfilling their proper role of investigating and challenging our government, and educating our citizens in an unbiased fashion. Fuck them.

{except for Salon.com, which featured this fantastic article today about the whole elusive and incoherent Dred Scott comment Bush rambled on about during the second debate. He was actually passing along covert "I will reverse Roe vs. Wade" messages to other Conservative Christians. Seriously. Read it, but make sure you come back to MY article, as I have something very important to tell you, and actions for you to take.}

Back now? Good. Here's the deal.

Sinclair Broadcasting Group just announced that they plan to run an anti-Kerry film called, "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" just prior of the election. According to CBS5.com, the film, "features former prisoners of war accusing Kerry, a decorated veteran who took up the anti-war cause upon returning from Vietnam, of prolonging the war and worsening their plight." The Sinclair Broadcasting Group is yet another media conglomerate like Clear Channel that has flourished during the Bush administration, and currently owns or programs content for stations in 62 markets, including many swing states. Sinclair is ordering each of its affliate stations to pre-empt local programming in favor of this film. Just before the presidential elections.

So you might ask — as the intelligent, fair and balanced imaginary readers that you are — does Sinclair plan to provide equal time to Kerry by running an hour-long documentary about how both Bush and Cheney completely dodged the Vietnam war altogether? Nope. They are running a unilateral, completely partisan attack on Kerry, the moment before the most hotly-contested and important Presidential election of our lifetimes.

Know what I say to that? Fuck Sinclair Broadcasting for attempting to manipulate the election under the guise of presenting real news.

This isn't the first time the mainstream media's overt conservative leanings have reared their ugly partisan heads. Back in April, Sinclair pre-empted an episode of Nightline from their stations because Ted Koppel read aloud the names of the 500 (at that time) US military personnel who had lost their lives in Iraq, claiming the program was, "motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq."MoveOn.org was denied the right to run a 30 second ad during the Superbowl, on the grounds that it was "too political" in an election year. These same networks all refused to run advertisements for Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" DVD, citing, "the closeness of the release to the election" as justification.

Are they fucking kidding? These so-called news networks won't run simple 30 second advertisements with left-leanings, but they will force compulsory conservative programming across their vast nationwide network in the last days leading up to the election??? Fuck them!

Oh, and to make this even nastier: Looks like our friends at Sinclair have contributed thousands of dollars to Republican candidates this year, most notably over $150k to re-elect our dear dumb president. Guess what I have to say to that? Fuck so-called news organizations with strong partisan leanings that are supposed to provide fair news coverage to the fine unsuspecting folks in our country. Say with with me, imaginary friends — fuck them!

Fuck. We are so fucked.

Does this hypocrisy violate everything you know about the so-called free press in this country? Yea, me too.

Ready to act? Fuck yeah! Here's what you can do…

1. Send an email to Michael K. Powell, chairmen of the FCC, and tell him how you feel. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear from all his imaginary friends who think the media has an obligation to be unbiased and fair and balanced… er, or something.

   {Here is a sample email, written by the talented and wise Lisa Wood}

2. Send an email to Sinclair Broadcasting Group directly. They say they "welcome your comments," so don't be shy. Try not to call them a bunch of "Fucking Stinky Scumbags" as I did, as this diminishes the chance they will take your complaints seriously.
3. Sign the Stop Sinclair Petition. Tell them Three Imaginary Girls sent you.
4. Hit them where it hurts. Contact Sinclair's advertisers and let them know they will be losing your support if they continue to advertise with Sinclair. DailyKos.com is running a fantastic campaign in this area, and this blog contains a list of advertisers, plus sample text you can use. {But try not to cut and paste it directly, as that diminishes the impact of your letters.)
5. Think globally, act locally. Why not send another love note to your local Sinclair affiliate? According to their website, Sinclair's television group includes 20 FOX, 19 WB, 6 UPN, 8 ABC, 3 CBS, 4 NBC affiliates and 2 independent stations, and reaches approximately 24% of all U.S. television households. Thankfully, they don't have a branch in Seattle. Find one in your region here.
6. Support independent media! You're reading Three Imaginary Girls, so that's a good start. Our absolute favorite source for news coverage is CommonDreams.org, a fantastic website that pools news articles from around the world on a daily basis. Read it, make it your home page, tell your friends about it, and support them financially if you can. They're a beacon within the murk of partisan-bought spin that the mainstream American media has {sadly} become.

   Also read Indymedia, a global collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage. This week the FBI seized Global Indymedia servers, for unknown reasons. This was huge news, everywhere but in the US.

7. Boycott FOX News while you're at it, because they, too, are a bunch of fucking fuckwads who wouldn't know about fair and balanced reporting if someone impaled Bill O'Reilly with what's left of our constitutional rights up his nasty, conservative, blow-hard ass.
8. Online polls are always fun! This Sinclair affliate wants to know if you think they should air the so-called documentary. I will update this list of online polls as I find more.
9. Contact your senators and representative in Washington and tell them to address this issue on the floor of Congress.
10. And most importantly, VOTE on November 2nd, and vote for John Kerry!

Fuck. Aren't you tired of having to distrust and fight your government? This isn't advocacy work any more — it's self defense! Keep fighting the good fight, my imaginary friends. No matter what happens on November 2nd, we have a lot of work to do to win our country back…

Other fine related readings:

• The Left Coaster: How To Deal With Sinclair Broadcast Group's Attempt To Play Kingmaker
• Daily Kos: Make it Hurt
• Common Cause: Media Consolidation
• CNN: sdfd
• Talking Points: More Info on this Situation. Even a Texas Lawyer Jumps In
• Run Against Bush: Exercise for a New President
• Bush is Anti-Christ: Well, is He?

{PS ~ I wrote this on 11 October 2004. Already I have an update! Yesterday former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt sent the following message to executives at Sinclair Broadcasting Group…}

Dear sirs:
I'm told you were involved in a decision to order Sinclair stations to carry anti-Kerry propaganda. If my information is false, please forgive this intrusion. While I do not believe you should be required to carry pro-Kerry content, except of course for an even-handed sale of your advertising time to both campaigns, I do wish to register my objection and concern if in fact you have obliged your stations to carry anti-Kerry propaganda.

I assure you that if you were carrying anti-Bush propaganda I would be equally concerned.

The problem is this: How can it be part of a broadcaster's public interest obligation to aspire to alter the perceptions of the audience about a presidential candidate by showing biased content that in no way reflects either breaking news or even-handed treatment of the issues? Why should a broadcaster keep its licenses if it behaves in this manner? I hope you will reconsider your edict — unless, of course, I am misinformed, in which case I do hope you forgive this message.

— Reed Hundt

{Fuckin' A, that's cool! ~igDana}

{Goodness, TIG hasn't seen so many swear words since igLiz interviewed mclusky back in 2002. igDana wishes to send special thanks to the Ladies Who Lunch for help with this article and inspiration during these trying pre-election days.}