Letters to the Editor & Public Access - USE the Media

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

We are beginning a regular campaign of Letters to the Editor of newspapers in the area. Many people complain of the lack of truthful reporting and balance in Y2K coverage in their local media (not to mention the national media!)

Has anyone else been successful with placing letters on a regular basis? There are ample topics and "angles" from which to approach the topic. For example, one person could write a citizen's viewpoint of the recent Senate report, which, as we all know, was thoroughly whitewashed in the public relations campaign that was all most of the public caught.

Another letter could be from someone concerned about the lack of interest on the part of their local utility or whatever topic is real for your community.

Bring the message home. Let's all stop hoping for CNN to do the job... or CBS... or The Washington Post...

Start with your local paper. If any of you have done this, please report your results.

We are producing a TV show on awareness and preparedness that will be aired on Public Access here.

Any of you who are producers might want to consider same. I know, I know: in all your "spare time!" But it IS vitally important.

Let's keep each other in the loop with results.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@ptd.net), March 19, 1999

Answers

E-The People

http://www.e-thepeople.com/affiliates/national

It's a good Web site for e-mailing local and regional politicians.

-- (helpful@links.com), March 19, 1999.


The really dismal thing is that the Senate report was actually quite critical. Anyone who reads even the executive summary, let alone the entire thing, will come away very concerned. The only answer you can really give to it is that much of the information is out of date.

Reporters seem to have just taken the TV soundbites produced by Bennett, Dodd and Koskinen and printed those. There were a few more critical articles, but the overall spin seemed to be "bump in the road."

Well, you can lead an ass to info, but you can't make him think....

Michael.

-- Michael Goodfellow (mgoodfel@best.com), March 20, 1999.


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