People are entitled to their own opinions but when they're malicious and uninformed — such as in the letter from Shawn Purcell — a response is warranted. For the sake of brevity, I'll simply address Purcell's mischaracterization of me as "discredited conspiracy theorist Sharyl Attkisson," which is simply untrue.

In more than 30 years as a journalist in local news and at CNN, PBS, CBS and "Full Measure," my reporting has never been subject to any corrections. To the contrary, it's been widely recognized with international news awards such as a dozen Emmy awards and nominations, and the Edward R. Murrow award for investigative journalism.

Over the years, my investigations have been subject of organized propaganda campaigns to make my work seem more controversial than it is or stop my work, as is the case with many reporters who uncover uncomfortable facts about powerful corporations and interests. For his own reasons, Purcell has decided to get on board with this propaganda train without regard to the facts.

Most people who care anything about my reporting know better; but I'm sure there are some who have never heard of me and may only have read the false information Purcell has published. I encourage everyone to do their own research and make up their own minds.

Sharyl Attkisson

Arlington, Va.