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Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Engage the media

Have you ever wondered why some stories are covered in the news and others are not? Do you want to write a letter to the editor? Have you ever asked yourself if certain news reports are really true? Do you question the role of advertising or the government in news reporting? Make our press truly free and hold them accountable. Here are some ways to engage your media:

* Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting is a national media watch group, that works with journalists and activists and works against media bias and censorship. They publish a magazine (Extra!) and have a weekly radio program (CounterSpin - available online). You can also sign up for free e-mail Action Alerts that will suggest ways to talk to the media.

* Journalism.org offers these tips on writing a letter to the editor, getting a story on local TV news, finding the right contact person at media outlets, and more. Use these to voice your opinion, make corrections, or offer an alternative view.

* Factcheck.org got lots of attention during the recent presidential campaign. They offered the facts about the presidential ads. Visit their site and check the facts for yourself.

* Listen to alternative radio for a perspective that often differs from that of the corporate media. My favorites are WRFG 89.3 FM in Atlanta and KABF 88.3 FM in Little Rock.

I'll be on the lookout for your letter to the editor!

2 comments:

Aldon Hynes said...

I wrote something related to this today on my blog. It has a pointer to a very interesting commentary on the media made by alums from the Poynter Institute.

Check out http://www.orient-lodge.com Want the commentary, and let me know your reaction.

Karama said...

To Zero Boss: I know what you mean: I clicked onto factcheck.com before I found what I was looking for at factcheck.org.

To Aldon: That's an interesting peice. My only respose is, "The future is now."

Thanks to you both for stopping by. Please come again, and spread the word.

Karama