(fwd) an open letter to newspaper publishers
sasha.
An open letter to newspaper publishers -
A healthy newspaper equals a healthy community, and after
spending a
lifetime reading and writing for newspapers around the country and
around the
world, one conclusion seems clear: monopolistic leadership prevents
positive
change. Promoting right-wing, Christian agendas does a disservice to
local
communities trying to eke out a subsistence existence. Capitalistic
biases do
not represent the needs of the 90 percent of the population that does
not
control the wealth.
Journalists, most of whom pride themselves on being voices for
those who
can't speak, have evolved into mouthpieces for the ever-growing media
monopoly. But with the dawn of the Internet, those voices are
finding
forums, and technology pushes newspapers to toward extinction daily.
For
print journalism to survive in this age, newspapers must change to
continue
and serve the public.
Rather than fuel the public's growing rage against an
untrustworthy,
corporate media, I challenge newspapers to usher in a new age in
communications by eliminating the concept of profit from reporting and
writing and reintroduce the idea of community-based publications. The
following points provide a springboard for the transition:
* Change all partisan names, like The Waterbury
Republican-American and The
Sunday Republican to something independent, like The Greater Waterbury
Paper.
Such a change indicates to the public that the paper wants to
integrate their
ideas into the journatistic process.
* Concentrate on local news. The same way that the invention
of photography
freed the art of painting from its function of recording history, the
saturation of international information from other media allows you to
centralize your coverage to neighborhood news.
Start more local bureaus. Dedicate all writing to community
issues. If
something of true international impact happens, focus on how it
affects the
people in the community.
* Promote the use of local writers. Start journalism classes
in local high
schools and area colleges and encourage young writers to participate
in
newspaper. Train them so that a ready made staff of excited youth will
inherit the mantle for the 21st century.
* Separate ads from editorial material. If possible, create a
financial
existence for the paper free from ad revenue, based on subscription.
Paid ads
compromise editorial integrity by forcing stories into a subservient
role,
making them graphic filler for the consumer data. Place all ads at the
back
of the paper, apart from copy. The same way current classified ads
remain
distant from news, place all ads in one section.
* With the profits from the ads, establish a local paper mill
using crops
like hemp grown on regional farms for pulp. Old-growth forests and
rivers
suffer mass destruction to satiate the newsprint appetite of our
info-culture. The local economy and newspapers around the world would
benefit
from the introduction of alternate-source paper technology.
By-products from the paper-making process in the hemp mill can
be used to mak
e food, fuel, clothing and medicine. These will keep the cost of
making paper
low and support the mill's operation.
As the proverbial ball begins rolling with these simple
changes, many more
ideas to better the community and the newspapers will emerge.
Remember: Our
goal is human liberation and having a good time doing it (and not
hurting
anyone in the process.)
Thank you for your time, and have a good day.
Sincerely,
Ken Krayeske
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A R T s a s h a. Idiosyntactix
Strategic Arts & Sciences
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
203 HARBORD STREET
TORONTO >< ONTARIO m e d i a
C a n a d a | * |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sasha @ n o t . t o r f r e e . n e t
n o t . t o r f r e e . n e t /~sasha
Gerry Quinn
In article <33b949a1...@news.alt.net>, cr...@torfree.net (sasha.) wrote:
>An open letter to newspaper publishers -
>
> * Change all partisan names, like The Waterbury
>Republican-American and The
>Sunday Republican to something independent, like The Greater Waterbury
>Paper.
>Such a change indicates to the public that the paper wants to
>integrate their
>ideas into the journatistic process.
Something like Waterbury Idiosyntactix Strategic Arts and Sciences, maybe.
>
> * Concentrate on local news. The same way that the invention
>of photography
>freed the art of painting from its function of recording history, the
>saturation of international information from other media allows you to
>centralize your coverage to neighborhood news.
What information from what media? Do you get your news from TV?
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> A R T s a s h a. Idiosyntactix
> Strategic Arts & Sciences
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 203 HARBORD STREET
> TORONTO >< ONTARIO m e d i a
> C a n a d a | * |
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> sasha @ n o t . t o r f r e e . n e t
> n o t . t o r f r e e . n e t /~sasha
I've a better idea. You report on what's going down in Harbord Street, and
I'll buy a newspaper for a somewhat less partisan view of the world.
- Gerry
==================================================================
Mailto: ger...@indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Original puzzlers (Windows or Amiga)-> http://indigo.ie/~gerryq
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Equipment Frere
sasha. wrote:
>
> An open letter to newspaper publishers -
>
We regret to inform you that you will no longer be allowed to post in
any news group read by a Canadian Citizen.
As most loyal Canadians know, it is our duty to take care of our
disadvantaged brothers. There are those among us who suffer from
deprivation. These people should be pitied. They are born this way for
the most part. Perhaps we can blame their parents for bringing them into
the world. But, certainly not the individuals themselves.
Of course you realize that I am speaking about the French Speaking
Citizens of our fair country. You are preventing these fine people from
receiving the information that you convey by writing in a language that
is too difficult for them to understand. Because of this, you are banned
from the UseNet unless you promise not to do it again.
Please disregard this message if you are French.
Bonjour,
Herb
Tom A.
that not satisfy the French inferiority complex and still allow them
access to the net? After all in Canada we can't have the Frenchies feel
bad about themselves. They might want to leave Canada.
Tom