Reporters are Cowered!

[Mari333]

I wrote THIS letter to a reporter who vilified the anti war protesters and marches we plan or have planned in the SW Michigan community (larger paper) in his editorial column .....>>>

Hundreds of thousands of US citizens marched against the Bush admin Iraq
policies before the war and hundreds of thousands around the world also did.
Your poo pooing in your editorial cannot wave away the growing amount of
every day people who are furious with the Bush admin, and continue to be
furious as LeakGate begins to unfold and the lies against this Invasion in
Iraq continue to unfold. and as the body count of our young people continues
to rise.....
This isnt retro, this is enormous...the record deficit, the shady 2000
election, the destruction of every bit of goodwill the US has ever had in
the world..
You might do well to attend one of those rallies..the Veterans are marching
against Bush, older folks alongside younger folks..the dying middle class ,
and my husband and I, who are even older then you. See you at the march
against Bush regime in DC on Oct 25!
Mrs XXXXXX
XXXXXX MI
...............................................

THIS is the email he returned to me:>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mrs. XXX
Don't tell anyone, but I'm on your side. As this is a heavily
Republican area, I have to present things carefully to make sure
people keep on reading. For example, many of my conservative friends
were unaware that there were any protests at all, until they read
what I'd written. I agree that LeakGate has presented Bush with an
enormous problem that could prove very damaging, and that the US was
sold a bill of goods regarding Iraq. If the economy doesn't recover
to the extent of creating meaningful jobs soon, Bush is headed for
defeat in November - not that it will undo the enormous damage he's
done to the environment, the economy, and world affairs.
Thanks for writing.
(his name)
--
Is this sad or what!!!!!

[HFishbine]

1. Present things carefully...

to make sure people keep reading? People keep reading Harry Potter because it's wonderful fiction. How about presenting things carefully so that the truth is reported?

[mandyky]

2. Living in KY and listening to CSpan callers every morning,

I agree. Reporters won't report because right wingers won't readif they do, and therefore it gives right wingers ability to deny facts. A vicious circle.

[GainesT1958]

3. He may fear for his livelihood...

But, fear of loss of job or no, I couldn't look in the mirror every morning if I felt I'd written something that was completely against my principles--to me, that's not unlike selling your soul! Thank goodness I work for somebody who would rather die himself than ask his employees to do that!

This poor guy needs to look his editors in the eye, and tell them he's going to write the TRUTH, whether they see fit to print it or not! x(

B-)

[Girlfriday]

4. Present things carefully = LIES!

[Occulus]

20. I live in the same area.

Trust- this reporter is likely telling the truth.

This is a heavy college area (if the paper is the one I think it is), and it's a bit backwards. Hmmm.

[Jester_11218]

5. Can you call my radio show with this?

Hi,

I have a webcast about news and media deception. If you can e-mail me on the whow or call in to discuss this it would be great.

The show starts in about 50 minutes at noon ET.

Please consider doing so.
Thanks,
Jesse

http://radio.tvnewslies.org

[Mari333]

7. Ill call in and please feel free to use the thread post on the air

I just cant believe a reporter could sell his soul for his job in such a small town...sad.

[Jester_11218]

9. Thanks. I will read the message.

Thank you!

[Mari333]

10. I just PMed you with the editorial and his name

You have it all.

[mandyky]

12. I'll be listening

I wanna hear some real facts, CNN and MSNBC aren't doing it yet today.

[madfloridian]

6. I once wrote a Tampa Trib reporter about calling a "lie" a "mistake".

I called them on it, giving examples of lies and mistakes, making clear the difference. I assured them that when a school superintendent gives school contracts to a relative and says he didn't that it is a lie.
I then told them that is why we read the overseas news mostly, that ours did not tell the truth.
I got back a letter similar to yours, but she added that they also got their news from overseas, admitting that our news was hedging.
She ended with the fact that she kept trying to write the truth, maybe someday.

[roughsatori]

8. His reply is disturbing on many levels

One is that he does not seem embarrassed, or even conscious, of his duplicity.

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. the day I figured out that a newspaper was a business

was the day I lost interest in journalism.

:(

(and I was a damn good reporter too)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

13. Rove/Cheney's "Retaligate" the CIA....... killed 2 birds with same stone

and "Intimigate" the press

[janekat]

14. Used to live in Grand Rapids - I feel for you....

n/t

[Mari333]

15. Ugh Grand Rapids

a bar and megachurch on every corner..where the kids all cry when mom and dad force them to visit the Gerald Ford museum ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
luckily I live in an artists community south of there and its not as bad, but does have its element of gun totin whoopers and hollerers.

[forgethell]

16. your friend

sounds like a coward.

[forgethell]

17. Whoops

I sent twice by mistake.

[hadrons]

18. I have a friend who works for Forbes Magazine ...

and he said the same thing; the writers write to please the editors and the editors want to please the boss and the readers (he told me many of the writers don't believe all they write and everyone nearly gagged when Steve Forbes wrote that Newt Gingrich should oversee the rebuilding/looting of Iraq)

One thing the editors did do was to stop Forbes from doing a piece of the carnage caused by the suicide bombers and linking it to why we must invade Iraq. They did persude him that it was inflammary and the two really weren't directly related.

[Mari333]

19. I think Ill email him this site

http://www.einswine.com/atrocities/iraq/?page=1

think it might do him some good.