CBS Promotes Failing U.S. Post Office Over Private Companies: ‘Makes Community Whole’
On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, correspondent Michelle Miller reported on planned closures of 2,000 U.S. Post Office locations: “…in this age of digital communications, online bill paying, and Federal Express, are physical post offices still relevant?” She seemed to answer her own question: “Folks are not going to let this go down without a fight…It's what makes their community whole.” During her report, Miller explained how the government subsidized organization had “a record deficit this year of $8.5 billion, the Postal Service loses a staggering $23 million a day and is facing a growing number of problems.” Even so, she played on the emotions of viewers, interviewing an elderly New Jersey man named Harold Schutzman, who explained: “[I] got a friend there at the desk, Gary. I can't get into the paying by e-mail.” Miller emphasized the “customer loyalty” to “one of America's oldest and most trusted institutions” and noted how people in areas affected by the closings “say that these offices are an essential form of the federal government and they're a part of their community.” Tossing coverage back to co-host Chris Wragge in the studio, she added: “folks are going to fight it.” Wragge replied: “You know what, I still like to send out my bills in the mail, as well.” Following Miller's report, Wragge spoke with Jason Cochran of WalletPop.com, declaring that the two of them would proceed to “do some price comparisons [with UPS and FedEx] so people can see exactly how affordable and economical it is to still use the Post Office.” In each price comparison that followed, the Post Office was always the cheapest option, but neither Wragge nor Cochran connected that to the fact that the U.S. Postal Service is losing $23 million a day and subsidized with taxpayer money. At one point, Wragge proclaimed: “So you look at the price and it seems like a no-brainer,” but wondered: “What are the minuses with using the Post Office?” The only problems Cochran could think of were a lack of notification of potential shipping problems and having to pay a little extra to track a package. At the end of the segment, Wragge concluded: “It seems obvious that the Post Office would be a necessity.” Cochran agreed: “It seems obvious.” He suggested people were just inpatient: “Yeah, but people don't like waiting in the lines, I think, and a lot of businesses use these other companies so people tend to write it off.” On the January 31 Early Show , Wragge talked to Cochran about government efforts to ban the incandescent light bulb. The two men touted the cost benefits of newer CFL and LED bulbs.
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on February 8, 2011. Filed under