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Read other letters about this article
Glenn:
You said "I'm aware of that, and have noted it. The difference is substantial: that NBC is owned by GE is public information. That NBC's military analysts have financial stakes in the policies they're advocating is not."
Wrong both ways, Glenn.
Yes, NBC's ownership is public knowledge, but so is the the bias of McCaffrey! The NYT just did a front page story on it! The problem is that you can't read everything, and that you don't search to uncover the truth unless you suspect something.
Public knowledge means that if you go looking for it, you can find it without breaking into secret files. The Freedom of Information Act renders a lot of things "public knowledge". That doesn't mean they are publicly known.
It is publicly known knowledge that we are concerned with. Having the truth available somewhere out there is a far cry from printed disclaimers in the header of a story, or an opening remark from an anchorman.
NBC's ownership may be public knowledge, but that doesn't mean that the public has knowledge of it. Joe the Plumber may very well believe that NBC is a corporation unto itself, with no bigger owner. And it is this lack of awareness that is causing the damage to truth, justice, and the American way.
