UNDISCLOSED SENDER
UNDISCLOSED RECIPIENT

Nov. 20, 2000

Dear Sir/Ma'am:

I am an Arizona political science student, and am undertaking an informal
poll of journalists regarding the November 2000 U.S. Presidential election.
(As I write this, the final outcome is unknown.)

Since major studies of journalist's political ideologies* show that the
"mainstream" media is overwhelmingly Democrat by political party
affiliation**, I conclude beforehand that you are very probably a Democrat

(*Lichter-Rothman, 1980; American Society of Newspaper Editors, 1989; **this
is my personal experience as well). (If, for some reason, you are not a
Democrat, please continue with the poll to the best of your ability.)

The questions I have are as follows:

1) Do you, as a Democrat, feel ashamed or embarrassed that the media
apparently downplayed the Democratic Party's attempted violation of the will
of the people in trying to alter the official election results in Florida,
and in doing so used only heavily Democratic counties/precincts in this
attempt (the non-standardized "hand count")?

2) Are you bothered that Florida Sec. Of State Harris was labeled by the
media as a "Republican Bush supporter," while the various judges involved in
the Florida rulings were not described as "Democrats" or "Gore supporters,"
even though they were all Democrats (except one member of the Fl. Supreme
Court)? Is this partisanship on the part of the media?

3) Did your party affiliation affect your reporting of the election?

4) Should a Federal law be passed by Congress to bring more fairness into the
various media occupations by mandating that the media be made up of
approximately 50% Democrat/50% Republican individuals, thereby eliminating
any possible bias in such an important vocation as the media?

Please be as specific as possible.

Thank you very much.
----

James George
Political Science Student
Arizona

Mr. George has undertaken a massive mailing campaign to the major media
organizations and indicates a willingness to allow others to use this format if they
are so inclined!