Related Diaries
Associated Press:
NEW YORK - Newspapers that carried an advertising supplement in recent weeks containing a DVD critical of radical Muslims have faced complaints from readers and questions about whether newspapers should offer a platform to everyone willing to pay for distribution.
Although a few papers refused to carry the DVD, about 70 including The New York Times distributed it on the grounds that rejecting it would violate the sponsor's right to free speech. The decision generated letters, cancellations and even a protest.
The Clarion Fund, a nonprofit founded in 2006 to address "the most urgent threat of radical Islam," spent millions of dollars distributing the DVDs mostly in battleground election states. That targeting led to further outcry about the group's motives.
"This is definitely the most feedback that I've gotten to an ad," said Ted Vaden, public editor for The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. "It's among the heaviest reaction I've gotten to anything. The great majority of the reaction was negative."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/...
I hope the pressure on papers that included the insert will be kept up. I think it would be particularly useful to request investigation of how Clarion financed the production and distribution of 28 million dvds, in a program that was a clear violation of their non-profit license.
Here's my letter, sent to several papers that distributed the video.
from (undisclosed address)
to
insight@orlandosentinel.com,
TheObserver@rrobserver.com,
openforum@denverpost.com,
bbrenner@journalsentinel.com,
rich@rayjacksonville.com,
pulse@grpress.com
letters@nytimes.com
date Sun, Sep 28, 2008 at 10:42 PM
subject Osession film
mailed-by gmail.com
Dear Editor,
I hope that you seriously consider whether the distribution of the film "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" by America's newspapers had any contributing influence on the recent chemical attack against the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were engaged in a Ramadan prayer service.
While your paper may not be widely circulated in Ohio, I hope that you will balance your participation in the promotion of this inflammatory film with a proper investigation of the source of the funds that have underwritten the film's distribution of 28 million copies.
If your local paper distributed the video and is not listed above, please post an email address to add to the list above.
Find more videos like this on Black Lotus Film Society and Evil Cult
And here's the story of onr newspaper, possibly the only one, who refused the cash and rejected the insert:
http://blog.news-record.com/...