I have laid off of Mrs. Canzano because she had, for the most part, attempted to separate her professional and private life and had not taken any cheap shots.
Yesterday, a very disturbing video was posted to YouTube by one of your newscasters, Anna Canzano. Someone needs to sit Mrs. Canzano down in a classroom and teach her the difference between the First Amendment and censorship. The First Amendment does not guarantee that everyone can say anything they want, whenever they want, where ever they want. Rather, the First Amendment protects us from government laws which abridge free speech.
The Constitution of the United States protects us from governmental censorship. I am not sure if anyone has told Mrs. Canzano this, but the Pac-12 is not a government agency. They are a private entity supported by funds provided by its members. As a private entity, it is certainly entitled to what image it chooses to portray in any events. The conference leadership is fully within their rights to deem appropriate content for their events.
Further, for Mrs. Canzano to shamelessly compare the Pac-12 Conference to dictatorial communists is beyond shameful. Such a statement only ridicules and diminishes the REAL struggles that Chinese citizens face on a daily basis given their TRUE lack of rights. In China, Mrs. Canzano would have been jailed and/or shot for her actions yesterday. Her husband is not, in any way shape or form an oppressed member of society.
I am quite certain there are people in China that would have loved to be in his place yesterday. Would he be so willing to switch places? Not likely.
Mr. Canzano is a well known self aggrandizing columnist whose main goal has always been self-promotion. Until yesterday, his wife had, for the most part, avoided his delusions. Sadly, she has noW been sucked into Canzano’s warped world of confusion.
Here is the most important part of any letter… a demand. KATU owes the public an apology for Mrs. Canzano’s statements… comparing a ritzy press conference in California to a Communistic Nation is beyond reprehensible. Chinese citizens struggle for basic human rights; they are killed for voicing divergent opinions. Mr. Canzano did not face any such oppression. Mrs. Canzano and her employers should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such childish indignation’s to be posted publicly. I can guarantee you this, without an apology there WILL be a large contingent of viewers (tens of thousands) who turn the channel… and I am also aware of several advertisers willing to pull their advertising revenue.
Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hDETxSrNW0
My problem is not the video itself… my problem is at the end of her rant in the comment section of her youtube page which says:
"…Communist countries champion silent journalists."
To compare her wealthy, pretentious husband to oppressed men and women in places like China is plain ludicrous. The man was on an all expenses paid visit to a ritzy event in LA… not at Tienanmen Square.
And, since she is not very adept at understanding the critique, it was not teh question itself that was the problem, but the preachy monologue that preceded the question whose only intent was to inflame everyone there.
The man did not have the intestinal fortitude [read: BALLS] to ask Jeff Tedford. He showed his spinelessness.
I can't find the You Tube clip. Can you link it?