Letter assignment

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to my attention that our students, and my children, are required to watch Channel One programming each day during the school year. I remember Channel One being introduced when I was a student myself at Pleasant Grove Junior High. What I don’t remember, is anything but news. I am currently taking a class on media at Brigham Young University, and have learned that Channel One is not just news, but contains at least 2 minutes of advertising directed at our students each day.

As a parent, I don’t let my children watch advertising on television. We don’t subscribe to any cable or satellite television, so are unable to see those commercial messages that come with it. I thought Channel One was a fairly adequate substitute for the news my kids don’t watch at home. But I don’t want them learning anything extra. Our world is too focused on commercialism already. I know they will see plenty of advertising in the world, but I try to mediate the effects it may have. I don’t think it appropriate to target children with extra advertising every chance possible, especially in a setting where I, as their parent, have no say in what they see.

I would like to see Channel One removed from our schools. If children don’t watch regular television news at home, news stories that need to be covered as current events can and should be covered in regular classes. And children still have access to news at home via internet, parents, and peers. We don’t need more advertising. And if there are worthwhile benefits to having Channel One in schools, parents should be made aware of what is being shown and have the ability to decide what is best for their own children. Please consider that like all curriculum, parents should ultimately decide what is best for our children to learn.

Thank you,
Tawnya