One reason Channel One has been unsuccessful is it has always been insensitive
to the special nature of its unique audience. Children as young as ten
are in Channel One’s captive audience, yet Channel One delivers the same
editorial content to middle school children as they do high school students.
On January 22, Channel One ran footage from a home movie camera that captured
the sounds of a massacre at a young Israeli’s Bat Mitzvah. This was widely
shown on broadcast TV. It is terrifying to hear the shots at this young
girl’s party. Channel One exercised no restraint by showing this to schoolchildren.
Jim Metrock said, "There was absolutely no need for Channel One to
show this to children, especially, middle school students. You can call
Channel One’s decision making ‘repugnant’. Children shouldn’t have to start
their school day off with murders, terrorism, and plane crashes. This is
the stuff that makes up Channel One."
Watch the clip. Israeli Party Shooting (This
is actual Channel One News footage shown to students ages 10-18.)
Below is the part of the script that goes with the Party Shooting Clip
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, WITH NO PEACE IN SIGHT, ISRAELI TROOPS TOOK
OVER AN ENTIRE PALESTINIAN TOWN. AND ISRAEL WARNS THAT UNLESS THE **PALESTINIANS**
ROUND UP SUSPECTED TERRORISTS… **ISRAELI** TROOPS WILL BE USED TO DO
THE JOB.
[ISRAEL]
[nat sot music]
[runs=:03]
THIS IS 12 YEAR OLD NINA KARDASHOVA… ON THURSDAY NIGHT SHE WAS CELEBRATING
HER BAT MITZVAH — HER COMING OF AGE — WHEN A MAN WITH A GUN OPENED FIRE:
[nat sot gunfire]
[runs=:07]
[nat sot nina’s voice]
[runs=:02]
[sot]
We didn’t know what to do. My friend just hugged me and said we have to live
through this.
[v/o aftermath]
SIX PARTY GUESTS WERE KILLED. AND THE CROWD ATTACKED THE GUNMAN, AND HE WAS
SHOT BY POLICE.
Ask your school board to immediately end their contract with Channel
One. No child should have to put up with this.
