Activist Response: David Fenner & Al Burke
Local citizen diplomacy participants attempted to stop the miniseries. David Fenner and Al Burke wrote letters expressing their concern over the series. While they were not able to stop the airing of the show, they did raise concern over the manipulative themes of the television series.
David Fenner
Prior to Amerika being released, David Fenner wrote a letter to ABC expressing his concern over the slanderous portrayal of the Soviet Union. Fenner expressed that it would create unrealistic concerns regarding the Soviet Union and that real concerns, such as citizen dimplomacy would take a backseat. Fenner's suggestion is that ABC replace Amerika with a 14 hour non-fiction series that would provide a balanced look into Soviet life.
Al Burke
Al Burke wrote a letter to the mayor of Seattle asking that he join activists in planning a response to the Amerika television series. Burke and other activists had hoped that with the support of the mayor, they would be able to provide a response to the Amerika program that would provide actual educational materials.
While their letters were not met with immediate success, they are important for understanding the impact the series had on those who fought for fair portrayal of those in the Soviet Union.