Letter to ABC Re:20/20 Matthew Shepard Report

To Whom It May Concern,

As a young gay man living in the US, I have grave concerns over your upcoming report on the hate crime which galvanized the gay community to fight for our equal representation in the eyes of the law.

Having read your press release on the topic, I am saddened that ABC News would go the route of sensationalist, unbalanced reporting, letting Fox News' tabloid journalism set the standard.

In statements to police following the murder, both killers admitted to killing Shepard because he was gay. To turn around and say that there were other factors 6 years later, is not only ludicrous, but does nothing but present a disservice to the memory of Matthew. Incidentally, I find it odd that this "report" is airing just a few months after Shepard's murderers request for a sentence reduction was denied.

It makes me sick to think that the network I have turned to for decades for impressive and insightful journalistic abilities, has been reduced to a tool of the Christian Right.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Sincerely,

James McGonnigal
New York, NY

Feel Free to write your own letter to support@abcnews.go.com

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Just making the observation that once they start along that route, there is no turning back. It's quite obvious that the report is orchestrated by something other than "new evidence" being uncovered 6 years after Matthew's death. And in the respectable journalistic community, Fox news is the most obvious example of tabloid tv around...I'd say "Christian Broadcasting Network," but they're a little to the left of Fox.

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Okay, are you really trying to argue the balanced reporting of Fox news? Hannity and Colmes??? Are you kidding me? Sean Hannity is a loud mouthed, obnoxious and charismatic guy. Colmes is mousy, unattractive and underinformed, right-leaning liberal. And according to reports from journalistic schools and organizations which measure the "balanced" reporting of networks, they discovered that Hannity gets 83% of the airtime on that show. Colmes gets 10% and guests get 7%...fair and balanced.

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They probably watch because he's loud mouthed and obnoxious... that's why I watch..

i will wotch it but i will be verry mad and the better wotch what they say i feel sadend that thell do any thing for a story did you see the last 20/20 whith that girl that turned into a man?and the colige cheating?

"whiney liberal."

As opposed to a "whiny conservative?" AHEM.