SUBSCRIBER'S STRIKE OF THE WASHINGTON POST!!!

[Nancy Waterman]

I have a few groups of people who are interested and I am gathering names to see if we can get a sizable number to sign the letter and then cancel their subscriptions for a minimum of two weeks and perhaps longer, depending on how this goes. I am hoping to get at least 50 people or maybe more. It would be great if enough join this to make it a real news story.

Who would be willing to sign this? You have to be WPost hard copy subscriber.

Here is the letter that we would all sign:

Dear Sirs:


As you may or may not be aware, many of your readers have become increasingly disgusted over your minimal and dismissive coverage of the Downing Street Memos and the subsequent hearing on these memos held by Representative John Conyers. What is perceived by many as significant and high-level documentation of the Bush administration’s use of intentional deception to justify an illegal war with tragic consequences has been characterized by your editors and some of your journalists as, at best, irrelevant and, at worst, a joke worthy of derision (see Dana Milbank’s recent screed).

This episode is only the latest in a series of omissions or underreporting by the Post of important stories, including the total lack of coverage of the egregious election fraud uncovered in Ohio that may have swung the election to George Bush. We can only speculate as to the cause of these omissions, but we are deeply aggrieved that some of the most significant stories of our time are not given appropriate attention by the Washington Post. What was once a strong and piercing voice in journalism, a courageous paper that defied the Nixon administration in the cause of informing the American public of malfeasance at the highest levels of government, has become barely a mumble drowned out by the cacophony of demagoguery, deceit, and abuse of power pervasive today.

In light of the increasing irrelevance of the Washington Post to what we feel are the most significant stories of the day, we, the undersigned, have decided to go on a Subscriber’s Strike. We will be canceling our subscriptions to the Washington Post for an as yet undetermined amount of time in protest of its editorial policies, its offensive and condescending reporting, and its lack of news coverage over the most serious abuses of the Bush administration.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. You need to include letter writing campaigns to their advertisers

You have to hit these people in the pocket. They make their money from advertisers not subscriptions

[Nancy Waterman]

2. That is part of the plan

A copy of the letter will be sent to the advertisers, but it will only work if we can get enough names and maybe even get some news coverage. I would appreciate it if anyone here could post this on other progressive sites to see if there is support for this. I will need names and email addresses so we can lauch the strike all at once.

[Maat]

3. What about the rumor running around on the internet that ...

(and I forgot the link) that the only reason that the Washington Post was so aggressive during the Watergate years was that there were a tool of the CIA, who wanted to get rid of Nixon.

Apparently, Kate Graham's husband WORKED for the CIA, and Mrs. Graham allegedly made a statement indicating that the government should be able to hide things from the people, and that newspapers should be able to selectively cover stories.

I'm just wondering out loud. Maybe the Washington Post was always a tool for government propaganda.

On edit:
I really appreciate the effort here.

[EVDebs]

4. Derr... check out Woodward and Bradlee's intell backgrounds

Woodward at
www.webcom.com/ctka/pr196-woodward.html

Bradlee at
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKbradleeB.htm

Then check into Operation Mockingbird and see about the WashPost's embracing that little bit of payola (they don't work for free you know).

Then read about Sen Robert F. Bennett and Woodward at
www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/07.03.97/scoop-9727.html

Bennett was the CIA operative behind Mullen & Co and the breakin boys. You also may want to look into Gordon Strachan who made sure that there was a second breakin...He practices law in Park City UT these days; also Alexander Butterfield, who lives in San Diego CA. A CIA/military intell man before his WH gig, he discloses the tape system. Without the CIA there would have been no Watergate/impeachment.

These days the WashPost is busy with hagiography on Bush & Co. Pathetic.

[SoCalDem]

5. They have seen their subscribers vanish for a while now..

Of course they (and other papers) have attributed it to "internet people" who reade it for FREEEEEEEE online)...

It IS a good idea to put it in writing when you drop a subscription to a paper, magazine or cable, and tell them why you are dropping them:)

[formercia]

6. Just unsubscribe permanently

that way the Post will get the real message that their PROPAGANDA, just like that from the Washington Times is not worth the death of the trees used to make the paper to print it.

Get your news right here, when you want it, unfiltered, raw and in your face.

[EVDebs]

7. Hey - Nice to hear from you again, formercia !

Checking the background of these post DeepThroat WashPostings is quite revealing (see my post above).

Also, read my other post at
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1877885

It's no wonder the CIA and the media want to keep the tie-ins, which Chris Hedges alluded to in the recent Harpers column, on the QT.

The whole Third Temple scenario they are playing on is based on the old KOM eschatology. Very sophisticated operation since the old days of the company.

[Nancy Waterman]

8. Now here is some good news: Independent TV

http://www.iwtnews.com/

Independent World Television

[mom cat]

19. Thanks for the info. I am going to send them a little start up $.

[formercia]

14. That's why all that Gold from the Soviet reserves went missing

The 'Boys' needed it to build the Third Temple. I don't know if they will get that far but Armageddon seems to be unfolding according to plan.

[BamaBecky]

15. Hi there! Third temple?

Help me understand. Short description will do. Thanks!

[formercia]

16. Hi,I think we should continue this on the other thread

I think I got off subject here LOL

[formercia]

17. go here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1877885

[many a good man]

9. Count me IN!

I'm a Sunday-only subscriber and I've been thinking about canceling for a long time. Last two weeks have pushed me over the edge. PM me if you have to !

[Nancy Waterman]

11. Thank you torches and pitchforks!!

I will PM you.

[Eloriel]

10. You go, girl

Altho I have to say I don't know what 2 weeks will do. They'll just wait you out, shrugging their shoulders. Unsub permanently. You can always re-subscribe if/when you want. PLUS, they should refund your money on an unsub, but might not on a temporary unsub.

[Nancy Waterman]

12. It may be permanent

The letter does not give the two weeks limit. The original idea was to do two weeks and then see if it had any impact. Then, if not, call the strikers on the list to do it again, for a longer time and try and get their friends to join.

Many of the people now interested want it to be permanent unless the Post demonstrates a shift. To be fair, there were three reasonably good letters to the editor today in our favor on the issues. Maybe they are trying to make a statement without making a statement. I don't know. But that Dana Milbank article is still hanging in the air in my mind and it would take something pretty strong to expunge it.

[Cha]

13. Thank you, Nancy, for doing

this. That's an eloquent appeal to the washington post and this could be the start of something BIG.

You know I'd cancel if I were a subscriber.

[Nancy Waterman]

18. Even if you are not a subscriber

think of who you know who might be, who lives in the DC metro/MD/VA area. Please, everyone, contact your firends and see if we can get enough to make some noise.

[Cha]

20. I do know someone who subscribes to

the washington post in our small town in New York who are Dems.

I can tell them about this when I see them.

[bribri16]

21. I already cancelled after this subscription runs out...pre-paid.

n/t

[DarkAngel]

22. Who pays for news anyway?

I get all mine from the internet