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NEW YORK - August 25 - An open letter released today urges media to ensure fair, balanced and accurate coverage of the RNC demonstrations. Responding to a slew of recent media reports that have distorted the aims and intents of citizen-protesters at the upcoming Republican National Convention, demonstration organizers are appealing to members of the news media to cover the upcoming protests with the utmost care and diligence. The appeal comes in the form of an open letter that the activists will use to reach out to the media and will post on their websites. The letter begins: “We write as representatives of peace and justice organizations that will convene in New York City during the Republican National Convention to express our dissent to the current administration’s policies and practices, including the occupation of Iraq, attacks on our civil liberties, the impoverishment of our communities and the destruction of our environment. We are concerned by the slant of some of the media coverage that has focused on potential violence or made unsubstantiated and sensationalist claims about the activists who will be demonstrating during the Convention.” The letter is signed by more than 50 prominent individuals representing peace, environmental, religious, immigrant, youth and community organizations ranging from the Sierra Club to the National Organization for Women to Military Families Speak Out. The letter suggests several ways for journalists to ensure the most fair and balanced coverage of the dissent in the streets. It urges reporters to: … not repeat unsubstantiated allegations;
… scrutinize the behavior of law enforcement officials as well as demonstrators;
… depict the diversity of those in the streets;
… seek out personal stories that best convey the activists’ issues;
… and to emphasize the actions and sentiments of the many, not the few. “In the past, the media has focused on a few people burning an American flag or smashing a Starbucks window instead of the creative and non-violent actions of tens of thousands of concerned citizens,” says Medea Benjamin of the women’s peace group CodePink. “We are urging the media to provide coverage that reflects the passionate, but non-violent commitment of the majority.” “We understand that the job of reporters is to provide interesting, compelling stories,” says Andrea Buffa of the human rights group Global Exchange. “Our movement is full of fascinating people with compelling stories, and we have happy to help journalists find those people.” Such compelling stories could include: - Marchers from Iraq Veterans Against the War, former soldiers who are aghast at how their comrades are dying for what they say is a war built on lies.
- Demonstrators from September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, who decry what they say is the Bush Administration’s cynical attempts to reap political gain from their personal losses.
- Women from the peace group CodePink, who organize creative, colorful actions to express their opposition to the Bush Administration’s policies of naked aggression.
- Workers from the Communications Workers of America, who oppose the Bush Administration’s policies that favor giant corporations over working families.
The letter concludes: “What [the public] sees should be an honest reflection of the issues that will determine the future of our country and our role within the world. We hope you will step up to the task that lies before you. The future of our public discourse, which is the basis for democracy, depends on it” To read the full text of the open letter, see www.codepinkalert.org. ### AN OPEN LETTER TO MEDIA COVERING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION We write as representatives of peace and justice organizations that will convene in New York City during the Republican National Convention to express our dissent to the current administration’s policies and practices, including the occupation of Iraq, attacks on our civil liberties, the impoverishment of our communities and the destruction of our environment. We are concerned by the slant of some of the media coverage that has focused on potential violence or made unsubstantiated and sensationalist claims about the activists who will be demonstrating during the Convention. We know that your goal is to provide interesting, compelling coverage. We hope you will work with us to make sure that your coverage also reflects the real sentiment and values of the demonstrators. We offer the following suggestions as a way to ensure fair, balanced and accurate coverage of our issues and activities during the Republican Convention: - PLEASE DO NOT REPEAT UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS. The police and other authorities have made declarations about our plans at events in the past and during the lead up to this one. Many claims have later been proven unfounded and serve only to distort our legitimate concerns and suggested solutions. Journalists should practice due diligence by exploring the source of those claims and speaking with representatives of our various groups before reporting them.
- FIND THE COMPELLING, PERSONAL STORIES: Many of us have firsthand experience with regard to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the erosion of women’s rights, the struggle to combat poverty, and so many other issues that are of critical interest to Americans. As those of you who have covered our stories well know, your readers and viewers will find them interesting and informative. We are happy to connect you with people and groups that can provide unique angles on our issues.
- PLEASE DEPICT US AS THE COMPLEX AND DIVERSE GROUPS WE ARE. We are grandparents, teachers, students, business people, and military families. We come from the working class and the affluent class. We are people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds; we reflect a range of political ideology. Coverage of demonstrations often reflects greater biases in journalism, with a disproportionate focus on a white, male demographic. We encourage you to provide your readers and viewers with an understanding of the full diversity of who is participating and why.
- EMPHASIZE THE ACTIONS AND SENTIMENTS OF THE MANY, NOT THE FEW: In past demonstrations, the creative and non-violent actions of tens of thousands have been downplayed or ignored in the media in favor of covering a few individuals who have chosen tactics that involve property destruction. We ask that you devote space in accordance with the numbers of people participating in different actions.
- RESPONSIBLY SCRUTINIZE THE ACTIONS OF THE POLICE TOWARD DEMONSTRATORS. In our experience, the violence that has occurred at some events has often been provoked by the police, either in uniform or undercover. We ask that you offer coverage of police violence to the same extent that you would scrutinize violence incited by others.
Some media outlets have, in hindsight, acknowledged a failure of accuracy in the coverage leading up to the Iraq war. The media’s repetition of the administration’s claims of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and Al-Qaeda links was instrumental in drumming up political support for the war and squelching meaningful debate. Largely uncovered were the basic messages of the peace and justice movement that America’s war in Iraq would lead to untold death and destruction, serve to further marginalize the United States in the global community and fill the ranks of our enemies with willing volunteers. The peace movement’s claims have weathered the test of time far better than the Bush administration’s claims. Meanwhile, buried deep in the news lies the plight of communities worsening as health care, education, environmental programs, and even veteran benefits have been gutted. Our hope during the Republican Convention is to uncover these stories. Our goal is to show the American public and the world community that we are appalled by the actions of this administration and determined to hold them accountable. The whole world will be watching what happens in New York during the Republican Convention. What they see should be an honest reflection of the issues that will determine the future of our country and our role within the world. We hope you will step up to the task that lies before you. The future of our public discourse, which is the basis of our democracy, depends on it. Thank you. *Organizations for identification purposes only. Partha Banerjee
New York Immigrant Rights Activist Mavis Belisle
The Peace Farm Medea Benjamin
Co-Founder, Global Exchange Andrew Boyd
Billionaires for Bush Michael Brune
Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator, United for Peace and Justice Kelly Campbell
Co-founder, Sept 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows Marilyn Clement
National Coordinator, The Campaign for a National Health Program NOW David Cline
National President, Veterans For Peace
Coordinator, Vietnam Veterans Against the War Larry Dansinger
Resources for Organizing and Social Change Sam Diener
Editor, Peacework Magazine Jodie Evans
Co-Founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting Lisa Fithian
Root Activist Network of Trainers/Co-Chair, United for Peace and Justice Beth Fitzgerald
Peace Action* Marvin Feldman
Tikkun Community Henry and Jackie Florsheim
Brooklyn Peace Action Kimberly Flynn
9/11 Environmental Action Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women Van Gosse
Co-Chair, Historians Against the War
Assistant Professor, Franklin and Marshall College G. Simon Harak
For the National Office of the War Resisters League Bill Hening
Vice President, Communications Workers of America Local 1180 Bob Henschen
Houston Nonviolent Action/War Resisters League Jane Hirschmann
Parents’ Coalition to End High Stakes Testing Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
Pastor, Washington Square United Methodist Church
Co-convener, NYC Forum of Concerned Religious Leaders Saru Jayaraman
Director, Restaurant Opportunities Center Van Jones
Executive Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Heesook Kim
President, Young Koreans United of USA Rita Lasar
Co-founder, Sept 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows EunSook Lee
Executive Director, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium Nancy Lessin and Charlie Richardson
Co-founders, Military Families Speak Out Michael Letwin
Co-Convener, New York City Labor Against the War Mark LeVine
Foundation for Ethics and Meaning and Tikkun Community George Martin
Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace/Peace Action Wisconsin Kiyoko McCrae
Peace Williamsburg Michael McPherson
Veterans for Peace Ignacio Meneses
National Network on Cuba Gael Murphy
Co-Founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace Efia Nwangaza
Not In Our Name Ralph Palladino
2nd VP, Local.1549 District Council 37 AFSCME Judith Mahoney Pasternak
Journalist, War Resisters League Baltazar Pinguel
American Friends Service Committee Carl Pope
Executive Director, Sierra Club Amy Quinn
Institute for Policy Studies (Peace Working Group) Reality Check A31 Media Team Josh Ruebner
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation Nancy Roemer
US Labor Against War Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou
Executive Director, New York Common Ground John Sellers
Executive Director, Ruckus Society Thia Stephan
Interfaith Communities United for Peace and Justice Brenda Stokely
President of DC 1707AFSCME/AFL-CIO, Co-chair of New York Labor Against the War Damu Smith
Co-Founder, Black Voices for Peace Kathy Spillar
Feminist Majority Starhawk
RANT Collective, author and activist Clifford J. Tasner
Billionaires For Bush Melissa Van
Executive Director, Peace Action of New York State Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Director, The Shalom Center Bob Wing
Editor, War Times/Co-Chair, United for Peace and Justice Shirley Young
Military Families Speak Out ###
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