%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Editorial Board of CBS Incident Committee %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Saturday, October 15, 1994 (No. 18) ============================================================================== Hi, everyone, thanks for your participation in the recent campaign. Here is the good news. The Chairperson of US CCR, Mary F. Berry had issued a formal draft letter to CBS News. As a result, one of the US CCR commissioners is planing to attend our case. This time, we got the individual number list only on Tuesday afternoon, and we needed to get the job done before Thursday. We pushed at the right time and the right person, which resulted in this recent success. Since the beginning of the establishment of CBS Incident Committee, we have experienced tremendous pressure and criticism from many sides. The arrogant replying letter from CBS Vice President cast heavy clouds over the movement, since he further asserted that "hundreds spies were recruited by MSS", and the "one in eight illegal exports closed .. involving China", "so the problem may be even greater than we reported." At the same time, many people tried once again to bury their heads into sand to turn away from the reality and to believe that such kind of groundless accusation could only be dealt with nice wishes and reasonable gestures. Not only many tried to justify the attackers but also many tried to question the motivations of the defenders. It was those who firmly believed that such a traditional mentality would lead the Chinese community to nowhere as it had failed again and again in the past one and half centuries, and those who fought fearlessly and tirelessly in the past five months that have accumulated the evidences that directly counter the false representation of the CBS program on May 19 of 1994. This achievement has been recognized by many Chinese community organizations such as OCA and Committee of 100, civil rights institutions, and Chinese and English media. Now the United States Commission on Civil Rights had finally decided to lend their hands to us. No matter how subtle this step may seem to be, it is giant milestone of our Chinese Civil Rights movement. Thanks again for all the support we have gotten from you guys. Mi Mi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ***** US Commission on Civil Rights' Letter to CBS ***** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ United States Commission on Civil Rights 624 Ninth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20425 October 12. 1994 Mr. Eric Ober, President CBS News 524 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 Dear Mr.Ober: On May 19, 1994, the CBS Evening News aired an "Eye on America" segment that we fear may have sown seeds of suspicion that large numbers of Chinese American and Chinese national in the United States are potential foreign agents. The broadcast caused considerable consternation among many Chines Americans and Chinese nationals in the U.S. who felt that they were unfairly represented as spies. This Commission is nearing completion of a multi-year study of racial and ethnic tensions in this nation. While our focus is on poverty, inequality and discrimination, we are aware that the report of the Kerner Commission on Civil Disorders found that news coverage can influence the intensity, direction and duration of racial tensions. What was true in 1965 is no less true today. The CBS Evening News has a long-standing reputation for reporting the news aggressively, accurately, and fairly. We do no t believe that CBS intentionally turned its back on that commitment when it aired its report on a potential serious national security issue. Yet, we are troubled in hearing from the Asian American Journalists Association and other Asian American organizations interested in civil rights that your May 19 program may have stirred anti-Chinese feelings in this country. The First Amendment rightly protects the free press, even when its reporting is unfair or sensational. however, news organizations have a responsibility to report with special sensitivity when the subject matter could exacerbate existing racial and ethnic tensions. Balanced and accurate reporting on such issues not only helps to provide an audience the truth about what happened, it can also serve to bind communities together. Sincerely, For the COMMISSIONER Mary Frances Berry Chairperson %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % Editor of CBS Incident Committee: Miao Ye, Xiangdong Shi % % Sign on/off at listserv@ifcss.org, with mailbody as: % % sub fcbs-l Firstname Lastname, or signoff fcbs-l % % Post at fcbs-l@ifcss.org % % Anonymous ftp at ifcss.org:/ifcss/Legal/cbs % % $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ % % $ Please support our common cause by $ % % $ making your contribution payable to $ % % $ IFCSS/CBS Incident Fund, and mail it to $ % % $ Mr. Frank Chen / CBSIC $ % % $ 361 Ogden Avenue, $ % % $ Jersey City, NJ 07307 $ % % $Thank you for your pledge, and we will make a difference!$ % % $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%