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 Spiller 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
