A sample letter to Discovery Communications' CEO

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Sarah Palin supporters, conservationists and others who simply would like to have the opportunity to view the series "Sarah Palin's Alaska" and judge it for themselves are up against a well-organized and well-financed negative campaign by the radical leftist front group Defenders of Wildlife. Even those who are not supporters of Gov. Palin should be concerned that a pressure group is attempting, through rank censorship, to determine what they can and cannot watch on television. Such a practice is the antithesis of the concept of free speech, the basis of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

We urge all of our readers who have not done so to sign the petition to let Discovery Networks know that you want to have the opportunity to watch "Sarah Palin's Alaska" on their TLC channel when it airs this summer. All you have to do is click on the widget at the top of this blog's sidebar on your right.

You can have more impact by also sending a letter or email to Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Such letters are always more effective when written in your own words, but for those who don't have the time to compose such a letter, we offer the sample below:

David M. Zaslav
President and CEO
Discovery Communications Inc.
One Discovery Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Dear Mr. Zaslav:

I was pleased by your company's announcement in March that Discovery Communications had acquired rights to the proposed series, "Sarah Palin's Alaska. The 49th State is America's last frontier, and it is a land of natural wonders and majestic beauty. It is also a place where the pioneer spirit is still very much alive in the interesting characters who choose to live in a rugged wilderness which offers many challenges and great rewards. My friends and family have been looking forward to viewing these programs on The TLC network, but now we fear that we may never get the chance to see the series.

It has come to our attention that a well-financed public relations smear campaign by the animal rights group Defenders of Wildlife is being conducted to urge Discovery communications to drop “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” before the first episode is even given an opportunity to be shown. What the Defenders' campaign amounts to, in our opinion, is a form of censorship which is the antithesis of free speech, the very foundation upon which mass communication through various media outlets in our nation is based.

The rhetoric coming from Defender’s reflects an unscientific, emotional appeal which ignores the science supporting the predator management program in Alaska, one which was practiced before, during and after Governor Palin's term as Governor of that state. After years of research, it is recognized by practically all state and federal wildlife officials that predator management is a prerequisite for guaranteeing stable populations of prey species. Given that many Alaska residents rely on moose, caribou, and other wildlife species for food, it becomes imperative that those species not be decimated through lack of predator management. The Alaska wolf management program accomplishes this. It does so through a rigorously regulated, scientifically based system targeting only those predators in areas where wildlife populations are not able to reach adequate levels of sustainability in the program’s absence.

While Defenders may have at some time in the past been genuinely concerned with the well being of wildlife, the organization's increasing focus on targeting Sarah Palin reveals that today, Defenders is more interested in practicing politics than it is concerned about wildlife. Please do not allow Discovery Communications to bend to pressure from Defenders and similar "animal rights" groups with radical political aims.

As Americans, we are all guaranteed the right of free speech by the Constitution of the United States. That includes Discovery's right to air "Sarah Palin's Alaska" as well as all Americans' rights to enjoy whatever we choose to view from the diverse menu of cable and broadcast television offerings available today. I implore you not to let this pressure group take away my right to watch "Sarah Palin's Alaska" or any other program on your networks.

Sincerely,

Please edit the sample to match your own concerns. Personalized communications are always more effective than form letters. To send your letter by email, click here. You can also call Discovery Viewer Relations at 1-859-342-8439 to express your views.

- JP