Idea for local media activism...has this been tried?

[B.S. Lewis]

I just read this http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_9871632?source=rss">ranting, raving opinion piece cheerleading for a defensive war against Iran in my local paper. In its original context, it was accompanied by a giant political cartoon depicting a Muslim man with the word "Iran" on his chest and a giant ballistic missile for a middle finder, with which he was giving the reader the bird.

I virtually never look at local paper or watch local news for obvious reasons. But reading this piece, I started thinking that personally "unplugging" is not any kind of an answer. Thousands of people are still reading this stuff every day with virtually no counter-opinion.

I could spend a long time writing in a response letter, but who would read it? And of those who read it, who would believe the enraged reader over the syndicated columnist? Isn't it self-evident that the columnist got her job by being a good journalist who adheres to the facts, whereas the reader is simply an overemotional and misinformed, possibly anti-American, leftist? A letter to the editor would only be preaching to the choir--and a tiny choir at that.

So here's my idea. I know there are others in my community who are both sensible and informed on political issues. Lots of them. And most of them, like me, probably stopped willfully exposing themselves to the tripe on the opinion pages of the local newspaper some time ago. Can't these people be organized to fight against bald-faced militaristic and pro-corporate apologetics? I'm specifically thinking about a petition to the editor of my local newspaper asking him/her to no longer carry opinion pieces by this cheerleader for war, Mona Charen. But in bigger terms, I'm thinking of a group that would be permanent or ongoing, and would keep a constant eye on the local newspapers for lies, and then petition against the columnists who write them.

Has anyone tried this, or does anyone know of someone who has tried this? Did it work? And how did you get started? I'm not exactly sure how to go about finding disaffected citizens who probably don't read even the paper but are interested in affecting its content.

[truedelphi]

1. It might work. But the thing is,

You have to buy the paper to even know what these neo Nazis are proclaiming in their column.

I think opting out of the media is a solution. The Powers that Be know exactly what the truth is, and they probably already get many letters decryiing whatever nonsense is being thrown around in an effort to lead us to a new war, or to believe that the environmentalists have created the high prices at the pump or whatevr their idea du jour currently is. But why give them 50 cents a day in the process?

[B.S. Lewis]

2. I don't think 50 cents matters...

We're talking about two or three people monitoring the paper on any given day, for the sake of - hopefully - 100's of signatures or more.