Stop allowing KUSI News to politicize our youth

We demand San Diego County high schools stop allowing KUSI News to hold pep rallies on campuses and embed their biases into our youth.

KUSI News is a local news station with the tagline "San Diego's more local station". KUSI News prides itself on being the go-to local station and gets involved in the community through its high school football coverage and Alarm Clock Pep Rallies, in which the station goes to one high school a week during football season and holds a school-wide rally on game day.

However, KUSI News is notorious in the local media community for being biased and spreading misinformation. Their coverage is unethical and misleading. In a vulnerable time with a global pandemic and ongoing protests for the Black Lives Matter movement, we need local media leaders we can trust. KUSI News is not that.

KUSI News is owned by the McKinnon family, who has donated thousands upon thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and committees.

Additionally, KUSI News has time and time again proven their unprofessionalism. In September 2019, reporter Ed Lenderman yelled at a man while covering a protest, saying, "I'm Ed Lenderman, I work for KUSI. Get out of my face, a**hole. … You keep walking, you (inaudible) moron." https://twitter.com/SDUTdyer/status/1174359991437774848

In January 2020, reporter Dan Plante engaged in and escalated a fight on air with a La Mesa business owner. KUSI News proudly promoted the violent video. This is after Dan Plante was brought back to KUSI News following speculation he was fired back in 2011 for racist remarks he made on air. (Edit: KUSI News has removed the video from YouTube since the start of this petition. Here is the Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1322350617948060)

In June 2020, reporter Kacey McKinnon posted an Instagram photo holding a "Women for Trump" sign at a Donald Trump boat parade, showing clear biases despite being a journalist. She is also a relative of the owners of KUSI News, the McKinnon family. Weatherperson Mark Mathis commented "YES!!!!!" on her post. (Edit: Kacey McKinnon has made her Instagram account private since the start of this petition. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYfdSOjJYq/)

These are only three examples of the harm KUSI News is doing in our community. These examples are simply a small drop in a bucket of reckless practice. We cannot allow this to be the example in our local schools.

KUSI News' attempt to appear as a wholesome community news station despite its irresponsible and harmful impact is only going to continue unless we take action.

We cannot allow KUSI News to enter our high school campuses and inherently politicize the children of San Diego.

We demand San Diego County high schools stop allowing KUSI News to hold pep rallies on campuses and embed their biases into our youth.

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