Media

   Virtually everyone working on the sanctions issue agrees that the mainstream media have failed miserably in their coverage, starting with the events leading up to the Gulf War, the Gulf War itself, and the sanctions aftermath. A large part of the problem is that the media are ready to accept administration information without critical review, due to a number of factors, including (especially for smaller newspapers) a lack of sufficient personnel to do proper investigative journalism. This is not the appropriate venue for a lengthy discourse on the state of American journalism, but we can use this lack of resources to our advantage. In the same way that the administration spoon-feeds the media, we can also regularly send information, letters and op-eds to our local and national media (NEWSADD.TXT). The more we send, the more they will become sensitized to the issue. A limited number of messages can have an impact. USA Today, the nation's 2nd largest newspaper, receives only 250 emails a day. Twenty daily messages about Iraq will get their attention, even if few are published.

Presented below are sample letters to the editor and op-eds. There are a few simple rules for writing. Be sure to include your home & business phone numbers and your snail mail address in your letter. A typical maximum for letters is 150-200 words; for op-eds, 1000 words. These limits are not rigid--the paper will edit, but try to keep in the ballpark. If you have time to send the letters individually (especially the top 20), please do so, as some papers automatically reject what they perceive as a bulk mailing. However, remember that the purpose here is to call the papers' attention to the sanctions issue, not necessarily to get published, so bulk if you have to.

ACTIONS:

1. Below is a schedule for writing a letter to the editor three times a year: If your last name begins with A-E, write in January, May & September If your last name begins with F-K, write in February, June and October If your last name begins with L-R, write in March, July and November If your last name begins with S-Z, write in April, August and December
2. Write an op-ed at least once a year.
3. Invite a speaker to address the issue and send out press releases to local print, radio and TV. Send releases approximately 1 week and again 2 days before the event. To find a speaker in your area, contact us.