Fix CNBC: 'Jon Stewart Made the Case, Now We're Demanding Action'

Posted by Isaac Fitzgerald, AlterNet at 10:46 AM on March 16, 2009.

Time to put on your activism hat, and you don't even have to get up from your computer. The Progressive Change Campain Committee PAC has started an online petition demanding CNBC change its ways and embrace responsible journalism. CNBC should be committed to reporting the truth about Wall Street, not peddling CEO talking points. Below is the petition letter, please give it a read and then visit fixcnbc.com to sign it.

Dear CNBC,

"You knew what the banks were doing, and yet were touting it for months and months. The entire network was." — Jon Stewart

These now-legendary words were a wake-up call. We’re asking you to wake up.

Americans need CNBC to do strong, watchdog journalism – asking tough questions to Wall Street, debunking lies, and reporting the truth. Instead, CNBC has done PR for Wall Street. You’ve been so obsessed with getting "access" to failed CEOs that you willfully passed on misinformation to the public for years, helping to get us into the economic crisis we face today.

You screwed up badly. Don’t apologize – fix it!

CNBC should publicly declare that its new overriding mission will be responsible journalism that holds Wall Street accountable. As a down payment, we ask you to hire some new economic voices – people who have a track record of being right about the economic crisis and holding Wall Street executives’ feet to the fire.

Please show us that you hear our voices loud and clear.

Sincerely,

You! Take the time to visit fixcnbc.com and sign this petition letter. Demand responsible journalism from CNBC!

Tagged as: petition, jon stewart, cnbc