Everyone agrees, the media is a problem. How do we handle it ?

[kentuck]

Even the new DUer, "DemStrategist", has said that the opponent is not George W Bush as much as it is the "media". Many people say we shouldn't say anything bad about the media because we don't want to make them an enemy. After all, they buy hteir ink by the barrel. So what do you suggest we do? Ignore them? Boycott them? Cancel our subscriptions? Help us out on this.

[salinen]

1. Two key ingrediants of democracy

A true free press
Honest elections

Both are gone.

[kentuck]

3. Does that mean we have to go "underground" to survive ?

??

[bigtree]

2. Activists' Resource Thread c/o Calimary, Media Contacts- Use Liberally

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x614019

[janx]

4. We handle it as a MOB.

No matter how distasteful this sounds, it's the only way the media will pay any attention.

An organized MOB. Numbers are what matters to the media, because numbers=ratings=$$$$$$$$$$.

And believe you me, the media aren't liberal and they aren't conservative. They don't give one damn about ideology, patriotism, or the good of the nation.

THE ONLY THING THEY UNDERSTAND IS MONEY. NUMBERS=RATINGS=MONEY.

Even Rush Limbaugh understands that, and he understood it early.

It's very important to go through Media Matters or the Kerry response organization to achieve the desired effect.

Scattershot replies to the media mean NOTHING.

[nofurylike]

5. everyone, one letter a day. correct them, and when they are correct

THANK THEM!

i have found that thanking them has a crucial effect. many write back their thanks, saying if there is anything else they can do to help...

just one letter - by hand, snail mail best, but email better than not writing - or a call.

Calimary and others have gone to enormous, invaluable effort to give us this resouce list:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=8816

we must use it.


peace!

[thinkingwoman]

6. as a journalist

who owns her own weekly newspaper, my opinion probably means diddly squat, but here's what I think about these methods and what response they get from my paper when used on us.

Ignore them: someone is ignoring us? who knew? so what?

Boycott them: how dare they try to bully us into changing our content! Cheney 'em.

Cancel our subscriptions: Laughter among the staff. The simple fact is that subscribers do NOT pay the bills. Advertising pays the bills. Boycotting is infinitely more effective than cancelling a subscription and remember the reaction to that!

Ok, now you're probably asking what the Cheney DOES work then? Well, I have been most influenced over the years by people who talk to me respectfully and cite evidence and examples.

This, by the way, is the exact tactic that the rw wackos have been using for a decade which is one of the reasons why the press caters to them. Once Dems use this tactic consistently and in large numbers for a while the tide will turn. It always does.

Meanwhile, real journalists like me keep plugging away at our readers and our peers. There are good members of the media. Truly.

Hope this helps.

[kentuck]

8. Thanks for those comments, thinkingwoman.....

It helps to put it in perspective.

[thinkingwoman]

13. you're welcome! nt

[depakid]

11. Unfortunately you assume that editors and publishers are ethical

and the reality is that a considerable number are not. Their papers knowingly conceal facts and knowingly print deceptive stories. Sure, you may get an LTTE printed, perhaps an occasional op-ed piece or a even a back page retraction- but that does little to sway the daily barrage of outright bias or legitimizing of irrational Republican policies. I see this all of the time in my own daily paper, The Oegonian, which like most metroploitan papers, is't locally owned.

I agree with you about advertising, but even here the assumption is that the publisher really cares that much more about their revenue stream than their ideoological agenda. I'm guessing that Richard Scaife, for example, wouldn't really care about advertiser boycots.

[thinkingwoman]

12. how many have you met? had dinner with?

My experience is limited mostly to newspapers but I've know more than a few editors and publishers over the last 25 years.

I think I know first hand what kind of people most are.

As I said in my original post...boycotts don't work. Reasoned discussions with editors and publishers work, particularly in large numbers.

[janx]

7. Visit Media Matters every day--

and respond. If everyone on this board does this, it will at least make a ripple.

[grasswire]

9. here's what I've done

I've developed an prototype for a Citizens Bill of Rights for Media - White House Transparency.

Bills of Rights have transformed other industries and professions. Why not this most critical profession?

My argument is available at http://webdems.blogspot.com. Here's the portion of the Bill of Rights as it pertains to the White House. Another portion needs to be written dealing with political campaigns, I have realized.

Will you help promote this idea? I don't care if my specific points are used or not -- but we NEED A BILL OF RIGHTS on this issue!

The Peoples' Bill of Rights for White House - Media Transparency (working title for a document in progress).


1. The White House Correspondents Association shall be the sole credentialing authority for entry to press events and briefings.

2. The president shall appear before the White House press corps for a regularly scheduled monthly conference of no less than two hours.

3. Questions will be asked of the president in an order to be determined by the White House Correspondents Association.

4. No questions will be submitted in advance to White House employees. No suggestions for questions will be communicated from the White House to reporters.

5. No credentialed members of the press will be denied access to any press event except by the decision of the White House Correspondents Association.

6. Members of the White House press shall not accept faxes, phone calls, e-mails or other communications from the political office of the WH, from political campaigns, from the RNC, the DNC, or lobbyists or other politics-based agents, unless the reporter has initiated the contact. Such entities may provide copy of any background material to a WHCA library where it will be available for reporters.

7. There shall be no contact between political advisors to the White House and reporters for the purpose of punishing members of the press for their coverage. If the White House has a complaint, it shall be made in writing by the press secretary and submitted to the White House Correspondents Association, with any remedy or admonishment to be made by the Association to the correspondent in question.

[genius]

10. Create our own newspapers, tv networks, etc.

There are people in our party with the resources. We need balanced news.

[David Zephyr]

14. You Ask the Million Dollar Question, Kentuck.

And count me in here as I want to do my part.

I just followed another DU'er's lead and sent a scathing e-mail to CNN about their crappy "Poll of the Day" which could have been written by Karl Rove himself.