I just saw a "reasonable for local news" report on CBS 4 Denver, but with one glaring error about the 11/24 protest. I used their feedback form at cbs4denver.com "Something in a newscast - Complaint" option to send them this message.

I know we already have a thread on links to articles, but I thought having a separate one on our contacts with news organizations about their coverage might be useful. Mods, please merge if you disagree.

(PS hopefully they don't misinterpret my cite of Germany and Israel as countries with "less terrorist incidents" as wrong or naive - I'm referring to incidents onboard aircraft, not terrorism on the ground not involving aviation. Would have proofread better but I wanted to send feedback while the newscast was still being aired in case anybody their was reading it.)

Here's my feedback:

At the end of your report about the TSA scanning and patdown protest, just now on the 10pm news, you totally mis-stated the goal and all published info about next week's opt-out protest. You said (paraphrasing) "they are telling people to opt-out of both the scanners and the pat-downs". That is 100% untrue, which any trivial amount of research would show. The protest is to get people to opt-out of the invasive SCANNERS only - and thus require a pat-down. The protesters are engaging in the American tradition of public protest to protect Americans' rights and safety. All protesters fully expect to get a pat-down, and given TSA, it will probably be even more invasive than usual due to TSA's long-standing habit of retaliation against anyone who doesn't meekly submit.

Please don't spread the misinformation that protesters are trying to avoid any screening. Protesters want REAL security, not Security Theatre.

Kudos however on your bringing on a reasonable spokesperson for the no-scanners side. I appreciate that you didn't just show "anything for security" people. Much of the public doesn't realize that cargo is still not fully screened (google "Trusted Shipper"), that airport employees with SIDA badges don't get the "full treatment" we passengers do, or that other countries with less terrorist incidents (like Germany and Israel) don't use these scanners.

Also please educate the public when covering this that there are two types of these nude-like imaging scanners: radio-based "millimeter wave" with the clear circular chambers - the kind DIA has, and X-Ray backscatter scanners.

There are two serious concerns with these scanners:
1. Privacy invasion while not being all that good for security. Both types of scanners have this. Do DIA passengers know exactly what the images taken of them look like? Do they know that despite TSA saying it's impossible to store and transmit images, that the RFP for the purchase of these scanners specifically require them to have that capability, and it's only the "trust in the TSA" that says it won't be used by a rogue agent.

2. X-ray ionizing radiation exposure. This is cumulative. TSA says there is "no risk" and it's "less than radiation from 3 minutes of flying." But reputable scientists and institutions disagree; even Johns Hopkins researchers who checked the machines for the TSA did NOT say they were "safe for human use", and have refuted TSA's statement that they did. Johns Hopkins now says all they did was measure the radiation level, NOT make any claims about human safety. Other scientists have pointed out that unlike your dental or medical X-rays which are set at levels and focuses to penetrate the body, these scanners focus at the skin level. So although absolute amounts of radiation may measure very low, the cumulative effect at skin level may be much higher than TSA claims. Also TSA does not have the in-airport expertise to calibrate and measure these machines the way a medical x-ray machine is. They also don't let their agents wear dosimeters, because that would tell the public that there might be a risk. The TSOs themselves may be at risk from days on end standing near them. My dentist goes behind a leaded glass shield when she takes an X-ray, even though it's focused closely on my mouth. But in order to scam the public into thinking there is absolutely no risk from the scanners, they are even putting their own employees' safety at risk.

Thank you for reporting on this story. Please report it more accurately.

Sincerely,
Mark Mercer
regular business and personal traveler.
2010 Continental/United Platinum Elite (75,000 mi/year)
2010 Alaska Airlines Gold Elite (40,000 mi/year)
Air traveler out of DIA with at least 25,000/year since 2004.