Media TARGETS FOR WED 29Jun--from Downing Street Memo.Com

[Douglas Carpenter]

More than a month after this document was published, the news media in the US had produced barely a trickle of reports on it (mostly coverage about the lack of coverage). Most of the news giants had ignored it entirely; some have belittled its significance while actually rebuffing citizens’ requests for serious news reporting. The last few days have seen some progress, more coverage and good questions being asked. We are confident, however, that a campaign to inundate these journalists with earnest requests will continue to keep their attention focused (just as the Washington Post finally produced some reports after a recent deluge of letters).

Thus our campaign: Every weekday in June, in cooperation with other activists and bloggers, we will publicize contact information for three distinct media outlets. We ask that you:

• Write a brief letter requesting the journalists to report on the Downing Street Memos, stating succinctly why you believe the leaked document is significant for the US.

• Send that letter as an email to each of the day’s three contacts.

• Return the next day and contact the next three targets of our media campaign.

TARGETS FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2005

1. Wichita Eagle, Editor Sherry Chisenhall
email: [e-mail]
phone [phone]
fax: [phone]

2. Topeka Capital-Journal, Managing Editor Wayne Stewart
email: [e-mail]
phone: [phone]

3. Knoxville News Sentinel, Managing Editor Lara Edge
email: [e-mail]
phone: [phone]

All the newspapers today are from states whose Senators serve on the Intelligence Committee. The stalled Committee hearings on the manipulation of WMD intel need to be re-opened if we are to get to the bottom of the DSM story. The Committee Chairman, Pat Roberts, represents Kansas, and the Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, is from Tennessee.

It would be advisable to urge all the newspapers to print the recent op-ed by Michael Smith from the LA Times. It is the best short summary of what is at issue, by the British reporter who originally published all the leaked documents.

The Wichita Eagle has printed less on DSM than most other Knight Ridder newspapers (perhaps because it has been pursuing the local BTK killer story, now wrapped up). They’ve had four short articles (all highly abbreviated versions of wire stories) that convey only a little information about DSM (or the briefing paper--none of the six other leaked documents has been mentioned). It would be a big improvement if the Eagle were to print Warren P. Strobel’s excellent June 18th article “British Documents Portray Determined US March to War.”

The Topeka Capital has published nothing on DSM so far. The Knoxville News Sentinel has published only a single op-ed by Jay Ambrose, which trivializes the issues and ridicules those who believe DSM is an important document (he ignores all the other docs). Both papers could certainly improve their coverage of the issues by publishing a few straight news accounts, of which AP has now produced many.

If you are ambitious today, there is a fourth (somewhat small) newspaper that is well worth contacting: the Hutchinson News (in Kansas). The Editor, Jim Bloom, often takes strong stands on principle, as he did in his May 24th editorial on DSM. It seems like it would be very possible to persuade him to run a further piece or two, such as Michael Smith’s op-ed. Here’s the contact info:
email: [e-mail]
phone: [phone]
fax: [phone].






Despite the memo’s disturbing and explosive revelations, there has been a virtual media blackout with some newspapers deliberately turning a blind eye to the Downing Street Memos. We hope you are already participating in the Awaken the Mainstreem Media campaign, and if you have time, contact other media outlets and ask them to do their job in reporting and investigating the information in the memo. Write a letter to the editor, call in to radio shows. It's time for the media to address real news.

MediaBlaster (Democratic Underground)—Here is the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cu/cu.php?az=blaster

MediaGuide (Townhall.com)—Here is the link:

http://capwiz.com/townhall/dbq/media/

___________________________________________________________
Everyone should write in their own words--Below is my own personal letter:

SUBJ: Coverage of the Downing Street Minutes and the questionable use of intelligence

Dear Sir/Madam:

As you know, on May 1 of this year a document now commonly referred to as “The Downing Street Memo” was released into the British Press. These minutes of a British cabinet meeting and several other recently released documents raise serious questions about how the administration was handling intelligence related to Iraq. At the very least, this documentation suggests that the Bush Administration was being disingenuous with the U.S. Congress and the American public on several gravely important issues.

The documentation strongly suggests that the Bush administration was determined to “fix intelligence” around a predetermined policy of war.

It is most disturbing that there has been little mention of any of these minutes of meetings between several senior British officials in much of the American media. Even more disturbing is the minimum coverage or discussion regarding strong, credible and independent evidence that the Bush Administration intentionally misled the U.S. Congress, the media and the American people.

I do hope you will provide more in-depth and serious investigative journalism into this matter.

Sincerely,


______________________________________________



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[Douglas Carpenter]

1. kick--because its important

:kick:

[Buford Pusser]

2. DSMs -- a report heard 'round the world

Done.

Sent to all four.

Here's what I wrote.

-BF


Dear ___________________________,

My late father was a long time AP correspondent, an old school reporter who didn't publish rumors but insisted on confirmation and strove for balance and accuracy. I often wonder what he'd make of the Downing Street Minutes.

Reticent to jump to conclusions, he'd probably by now agree that the DSMs are worthy of serious reporting.

Here's what I think: The Downing Street Minutes are the political equivalent of the discovery that the earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa.

The DSMs now need the report heard 'round the world, to strain a cliche.

As I'm sure you're aware, these Minutes, written by a Great Britain's answer to George Tenet for an audience that included only the highest officials in the British Government, strongly suggest that:

(1) a story was being crafted to suit Bush's political ambitions for unprovoked war against an internationally harmless country;

(2) war was being waged even as Bush was telling the American people, Congress, and the world that war would be a "last resort"; and

(3) Bush went to the UN, not to achieve peace, but to enable war.

It staggers the mind that an American president would do such things. I didn't vote for Bush but it brings me no pleasure to think of him this way. Please do some serious investigation into the biggest story of our day.

I honestly can't fathom a bigger story than one about a president who may have lied to provoke an attack against another country, resulting in tens of thousands of needless deaths, the squandering of billions of dollars, the endangerment of our country, and the enmeshing of our country in a debacle that the Secretary of Defense recently said could last another generation.

Please uphold the grand tradition of the fourth estate in this country.

We need you.

Who's "we"?

The American people, who cannot trust the powers who govern us, supposedly with our consent, to tell us the truth.

Please report.

XXXX XXXXXXX
City, State

[rman]

3. The problem with the MSM is not so much that they are asleep,

but rather that they are hijacked by corporations.

That's why the slogan "Take back the media" (www.takebackthemedia.com - seems to be unreachable at the moment) is much more appropriate.

Saying the media are asleep is like saying Bush is incompetent, rather then criminal.

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. that may very well be--however

we are seeing today---evidence that a good portion of the media--perhaps not all--perhaps not the majority--but a good portion starting to look at Bush more critically...

[Buford Pusser]

5. It's important

Bump.

C'mon folks.

We can't moan (much) about the MSM ignoring the DSMs if we can't even take the time to zip off an email.

[Buford Pusser]

6. Well so much for that ............

Three of my four emails came bouncing back.

We'll see if the fourth makes it, or boomerangs.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. you might try another way placing the address

perhaps copying and pasting...

I don't know why...but a few people have reported the same problem..

but, in the past month I have only had one or two returned..please try again..

[Douglas Carpenter]

8. please don't let up now

:kick:

[Douglas Carpenter]

9. kick

:kick:

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. kick--because its important

:kick: