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Commentary September 26, 2010 at 08:00 PM
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Just Read Your Article entitled "Feeding Frenzy" (August 23) and I have to say it was quite clever. Very Cool style to read.

As a long time surfer in San Diego, I've always realized the risk of greaties and have just hedged my bet surfing in crowds and avoided going solo during the early morning sessions. Love the commentary on nature's way of weeding out the stupid ones; nice tie into life underwriters as they go out of their way to get favorable ratings and premium tolerances with yet another stupid individual who doesn't heed life's warning signs.

Matt Leighton

CBIA Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc.

San Diego, CA

RAAs: Reputational Outbreak Has Begun
The Gamut blog, 9/15

Over the years, I have read NU and been quite dismayed at the anti-business and anti-industry tone of its articles and editorial content, with the great exception of Jack Bobo, who is the only NU editor who shares any appreciation of what it is really like to work in the insurance industry and deal with the real issues it faces.

I saw your editorial this morning about the lack of industry pushback against the typical demonization it has received, this time with the RAAs. You openly wondered why the industry is so resigned about its position as the designated punching bag for legislators and the media. Well, if you look carefully at what would generously be called the lack of advocacy for insurers that the NU has indulged in over the years (again with the splendid exception of Jack Bobo), you will find that even those who are supposedly covering us and nominally supporting us have demonstrated time after time that the NU finds little advantage in asserting any advocacy, much less even-handed discussion, on behalf of the insurance industry.

If you are truly serious about supporting the insurance industry honestly, I suggest you start at home first and look in the mirror. If I were you, I would have NU start acting seriously about covering both sides of each issue. I would do real interviews of industry professionals (and you certainly don't have to reveal the names of your sources) and get real reactions that truly reflect the realities of the industry. Don't expect the industry to suddenly do its own heavy lifting through blogs and letters to the editor, as though those are the only resources available to get our truth out when the NU does not bother to fulfill that responsibility in the first place.

I suggest that if you truly want to be a real journalist who covers the insurance industry, start having the NU act like a real news journal, instead of following merrily along with the rest of the anti-business partisan media crowd. It would be nice if somebody other than Jack Bobo cared about us, our fate, and our proven value to the U.S. public.

If you see that there is a misinformation gap, I do not see why you think it is not your job to fill it. If Pru is on the hot seat and can't comment directly, that does not mean that your hands are tied from shining a bright light on the subject anyway. You have my complete permission and encouragement to do the job you are supposed to do, which is to level the information playing field. If one or more principals in a conflict cannot give you a direct comment, there is no reason why you cannot obtain valid information and industry perspective on the subject elsewhere from uninvolved third party experts. Fox News does that all the time.

Looking forward to your more engaged and balanced reporting in the near future.

Name Witheld

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