Letters to your Congressperson and Senators usually get a form letter reply. State representative even less because they don’t have the staff. I’ve once had one letter published in a national magazine.
I think we have all felt similar frustration with form letter responses from representatives. But the stakes couldn't be higher with the bias in the Times and Wapo. Their revenue model is now subscription based so lots of letters to the editor threatening their major revenue stream can have an impact, as can letters to the members of their corporate board. where you can write
Here is a link to the members of the Board of Directors at the Times.
I think we can do both Georgia (write to the editors and our Congresscritters.) I actually don't write to my Congress critter as often as I right to Don Bacon (R-NE2). He is by far one of the most intelligent Republican Congresscritters and, so far, has always responded with a lengthy reply. Plus, his district voted for Biden so he is considered to be vulnerable.
He usually writes that he does not support Trump for reelection.
My Republican Senator is Susan Collins (R-ME). She came within a few thousand votes of being rank-choice voted. She received just over 50% of the 1st choice ballot votes. Sometimes, I rant when I email her like when she voted to approve Kavanaugh's nomination and I don't request a reply. But when I do, she usually responds.
Again, she has been one of the few Republicans who has never supported Trump. She is not shy about admitting as much. But, I agree with you that nothing I write to her will change her into a Democrat. She is also well liked in spite of her votes for Kavanaugh and Gorsuch who both lied to her about precedents. And she voted against Amy.
But, my Congress critter in Jacksonville is John Rutherford who is as MAGANAZI as they come. He was elected when his seat was vacated and his district was extremely gerrymandered. He was the retired Sheriff of JSO which had the highest violent crime rate in FL during his entire tenure. I have requested that he retire multiple times and so far, he has not obliged. Obviously, he will never change. He is a deplorable human being and devout Bible beater. I'm sure he's never read it.
I have usually had my Letters to the Editor published (San Diego) but not sure how effective they are! Most recently re: a politically, and monetarily motivated cancellation of Healthcare Plans by a local Healthcare Provider (Scripps) for 32,000 people mostly seniors!
The audience we need to influence is the editorial board of the major media outlets. That requires a lot of letters hitting at common themes--clickbait coverage, Biden ageism, reporting crappy polling methodology as gospel...
I started working on a letter to the NYTimes and got deep in the weeds on an issue with their last poll which was highlighted and had the amazing statement that 22% of black people say they will vote for Trump instead of Biden and then found several subsequent sort of disclaimers in their podcasts and newsletters which you have to subscribe to separately OR you have to listen to the opinion podcast which is a lot smaller fraction of people who likely read the original article, and then a "not to worry" i piece by David Brooks.
The bottom line is that there are whole lot more to the decisions about emphasis and placement that that roll out over a few weeks. I am still trying to see what was written as letters in response to the original poll.
I feel like this particular example is not going to result in anything I could send to the Times at this point in time, but it is a whole education by working through the example as to what I would say at the next opportunity.
Katherine, As a fellow inhabitant of the farthest southwestern corner of the contiguous 48, it was indeed outrageous. Congratulations if it was the UT in which your letter was published; sadly it’s a newspaper in steep decline, mostly filled with ads, a quickly diminishing subscriber base, and online articles paywalled. From a business standpoint I really can’t fault Scripps Heath from dropping Medicare Disadvantage plans, pushing those seniors into other plans, mostly with one of the other big players in town (likely Sharp). Strange, as I generally have nothing good to say about Scripps and nothing at all good about Medicare Disadvantage.
Yes it was the UT also outrageously expensive now—have had good care with Scripps for 30 years but now trying to transfer over to a new NON Advantage Plan for North County…yikes!! Perhaps?? I read that Scripps actually lost all that money (“millions”) in its Cyber attack last year?????
Thank you for taking a stand on letters to Congress. I have witnessed first-hand, that the interns who file those letters feel sorry for the people who waste their time writing them.
But, Letters to the Editor? I have never had one of my letters published. I feel there must be something like the same reception at the Inquirer as there is at my Senator's office. Do you know differently?
I have usually had my letters to the letter to the NY Times accepted. Even if they aren't published, at least they will be read and if enough people call them on the poor journalism it might have an effect. The underlying problem that is hamstringing Biden is the biased coverage even in what used to be reliable sources. we need to try to attack the problem as close to the source as possible. Do you see another option?
Do I see another option? To writing letters to the editor? Yes. I mount public art projects and exhibitions on climate change that try to activate people, but I’ve seen, several times, the media turn their backs. In one case, the local Fox news crew showed up to carefully aim their camera so it didn’t see any of the big, powerful climate crisis work and instead show only a small painting of Obama with a crown of thorns, which they gleefully trashed as heresy. That was all the press we got. The Foxes beat in fifteen seconds the intriguing messages that the other artists had spent years creating.
I want to join a campaign of propaganda as cunning, and disciplined, and as well-funded as the opposition has created (to the tune of many billions of dollars). The Koch Kleptocrats don’t wait for editors to publish their letters, they do things like secretly create the Tea Party movement... then editors want to publish articles about them.
But none of the left-leaning billionaires see themselves mounting an equivalent response to the Kleptocrats.
The issue of coverage choices and emphasis in the media is huge--today's post has a link to an article on the coverage, emphasis and placement in WaPo and NYT during recent election cycles. It is staggering.
Yes, Georgia. I’m glad to have marching orders. I’ll be writing a piece for our local paper soon. Let’s see if it is printed. Meanwhile, I was thinking of raising enough money to buy a caseload of Heather Cox Richardson’s book DEMOCRACY AWAKENING and handing out free copies at our downtown plaza. Spreading the word by any means necessary!
Handing out the books sounds like a great idea, especially if you live in a small town! I would print up a large sticker on the front piece of the book asking the person you give it to to pass it on to someone else after they finish reading it. And ask at your local library if they have the book or if they have a waiting list so you could donate books there, especially if they have a wait list, and try to get them to display it--most libraries have a "featured book" table or a "best seller" display. Also lots of senior centers have book clubs--you could try contacting them and getting Heather's book on their reading list.
Another place for getting "marching orders" is the Chop Wood, Carry Water substack. More traditional contact your representatives write postcards, and resistbot efforts.
Thank you, Georgia. I agree a wad of letters to the editor from different subscribers, may do the trick
Letters to your Congressperson and Senators usually get a form letter reply. State representative even less because they don’t have the staff. I’ve once had one letter published in a national magazine.
I think we have all felt similar frustration with form letter responses from representatives. But the stakes couldn't be higher with the bias in the Times and Wapo. Their revenue model is now subscription based so lots of letters to the editor threatening their major revenue stream can have an impact, as can letters to the members of their corporate board. where you can write
Here is a link to the members of the Board of Directors at the Times.
https://www.nytco.com/board-of-directors/
I think we can do both Georgia (write to the editors and our Congresscritters.) I actually don't write to my Congress critter as often as I right to Don Bacon (R-NE2). He is by far one of the most intelligent Republican Congresscritters and, so far, has always responded with a lengthy reply. Plus, his district voted for Biden so he is considered to be vulnerable.
He usually writes that he does not support Trump for reelection.
My Republican Senator is Susan Collins (R-ME). She came within a few thousand votes of being rank-choice voted. She received just over 50% of the 1st choice ballot votes. Sometimes, I rant when I email her like when she voted to approve Kavanaugh's nomination and I don't request a reply. But when I do, she usually responds.
Again, she has been one of the few Republicans who has never supported Trump. She is not shy about admitting as much. But, I agree with you that nothing I write to her will change her into a Democrat. She is also well liked in spite of her votes for Kavanaugh and Gorsuch who both lied to her about precedents. And she voted against Amy.
But, my Congress critter in Jacksonville is John Rutherford who is as MAGANAZI as they come. He was elected when his seat was vacated and his district was extremely gerrymandered. He was the retired Sheriff of JSO which had the highest violent crime rate in FL during his entire tenure. I have requested that he retire multiple times and so far, he has not obliged. Obviously, he will never change. He is a deplorable human being and devout Bible beater. I'm sure he's never read it.
I have usually had my Letters to the Editor published (San Diego) but not sure how effective they are! Most recently re: a politically, and monetarily motivated cancellation of Healthcare Plans by a local Healthcare Provider (Scripps) for 32,000 people mostly seniors!
Outrageous!
The audience we need to influence is the editorial board of the major media outlets. That requires a lot of letters hitting at common themes--clickbait coverage, Biden ageism, reporting crappy polling methodology as gospel...
I started working on a letter to the NYTimes and got deep in the weeds on an issue with their last poll which was highlighted and had the amazing statement that 22% of black people say they will vote for Trump instead of Biden and then found several subsequent sort of disclaimers in their podcasts and newsletters which you have to subscribe to separately OR you have to listen to the opinion podcast which is a lot smaller fraction of people who likely read the original article, and then a "not to worry" i piece by David Brooks.
The bottom line is that there are whole lot more to the decisions about emphasis and placement that that roll out over a few weeks. I am still trying to see what was written as letters in response to the original poll.
I feel like this particular example is not going to result in anything I could send to the Times at this point in time, but it is a whole education by working through the example as to what I would say at the next opportunity.
Katherine, As a fellow inhabitant of the farthest southwestern corner of the contiguous 48, it was indeed outrageous. Congratulations if it was the UT in which your letter was published; sadly it’s a newspaper in steep decline, mostly filled with ads, a quickly diminishing subscriber base, and online articles paywalled. From a business standpoint I really can’t fault Scripps Heath from dropping Medicare Disadvantage plans, pushing those seniors into other plans, mostly with one of the other big players in town (likely Sharp). Strange, as I generally have nothing good to say about Scripps and nothing at all good about Medicare Disadvantage.
Yes it was the UT also outrageously expensive now—have had good care with Scripps for 30 years but now trying to transfer over to a new NON Advantage Plan for North County…yikes!! Perhaps?? I read that Scripps actually lost all that money (“millions”) in its Cyber attack last year?????
Thank you for taking a stand on letters to Congress. I have witnessed first-hand, that the interns who file those letters feel sorry for the people who waste their time writing them.
But, Letters to the Editor? I have never had one of my letters published. I feel there must be something like the same reception at the Inquirer as there is at my Senator's office. Do you know differently?
https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014925288-Submit-a-Letter-to-The-Editor
there some possibly useful tips there.
I have usually had my letters to the letter to the NY Times accepted. Even if they aren't published, at least they will be read and if enough people call them on the poor journalism it might have an effect. The underlying problem that is hamstringing Biden is the biased coverage even in what used to be reliable sources. we need to try to attack the problem as close to the source as possible. Do you see another option?
Do I see another option? To writing letters to the editor? Yes. I mount public art projects and exhibitions on climate change that try to activate people, but I’ve seen, several times, the media turn their backs. In one case, the local Fox news crew showed up to carefully aim their camera so it didn’t see any of the big, powerful climate crisis work and instead show only a small painting of Obama with a crown of thorns, which they gleefully trashed as heresy. That was all the press we got. The Foxes beat in fifteen seconds the intriguing messages that the other artists had spent years creating.
I want to join a campaign of propaganda as cunning, and disciplined, and as well-funded as the opposition has created (to the tune of many billions of dollars). The Koch Kleptocrats don’t wait for editors to publish their letters, they do things like secretly create the Tea Party movement... then editors want to publish articles about them.
But none of the left-leaning billionaires see themselves mounting an equivalent response to the Kleptocrats.
The issue of coverage choices and emphasis in the media is huge--today's post has a link to an article on the coverage, emphasis and placement in WaPo and NYT during recent election cycles. It is staggering.
Yes, Georgia. I’m glad to have marching orders. I’ll be writing a piece for our local paper soon. Let’s see if it is printed. Meanwhile, I was thinking of raising enough money to buy a caseload of Heather Cox Richardson’s book DEMOCRACY AWAKENING and handing out free copies at our downtown plaza. Spreading the word by any means necessary!
Handing out the books sounds like a great idea, especially if you live in a small town! I would print up a large sticker on the front piece of the book asking the person you give it to to pass it on to someone else after they finish reading it. And ask at your local library if they have the book or if they have a waiting list so you could donate books there, especially if they have a wait list, and try to get them to display it--most libraries have a "featured book" table or a "best seller" display. Also lots of senior centers have book clubs--you could try contacting them and getting Heather's book on their reading list.
Another place for getting "marching orders" is the Chop Wood, Carry Water substack. More traditional contact your representatives write postcards, and resistbot efforts.
https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/chop-wood-carry-water-1117-a2a