Congressman Collins, do your homework

By Bruce Menke

A huge number and variety of sources claim to provide Americans with accurate and objective information. It is no easy task to determine which sources are trustworthy and reliable and which are not. In this regard, the records of National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) are extraordinary.

NPR (which reaches 43 million people weekly) has received numerous awards and prizes for its journalism and broadcasts, including the Pulitzer Prize, Edward R. Murrow Awards, Gracie Awards and Alfred I duPont-Columbia Awards, among others. PBS and its programs have also won numerous awards, including Webby Awards, IDA Documentary Awards, Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, National Headliner Awards and others.

So why does our Congressman Mike Collins want to de-fund NPR and PBS, proven sources of the highest quality journalism and reporting over many decades?

It seems unlikely that Congressman Collins knows about this incredible record or, indeed, cares about it.

Ironically, the easiest and most effective way for Congressman Collins to inform himself about the impressive performance of NPR and PBS would be by simply listening to NPR and watching PBS.  

By failing to inform himself, Congressman Collins consistently speaks and acts in ways which are extremely detrimental to the welfare of our district, our state and our nation.

Surely, we, his constituents, are entitled to expect more of Congress Collins, an individual to whom we have given such extraordinary power to either enrich or impoverish our daily lives.

Bruce Menke is an Athens resident