> > > ------------------------------------------ > FAIR-L > Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting > Media analysis, critiques and news reports > ------------------------------------------ > > > > For Immediate Release Contact: Steve Rendall > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Washington Post Columnist Questions Lott's "Fitness" To be Majority > Leader: > Record Shows Lott's Involvement With Racist Group Extensive > > > On December 19th, Washington Post Editorial Board Member Colbert I. > King began a column by calling on the Senate to reconsider the Senate > Majority Leader Trent Lott's "fitness" for the job. The reason, said > King, was Lott's involvement with the racist Council of Conservative > Citizens (CCC), widely considered to be the successor to the White > Citizens Councils of the Civil Rights era. > > On December 12th, Senator Lott's press secretary told several media > outlets that Lott's involvement with the white-supremacist group, > Council of Conservative Citizens, amounted to a single speech to the > group, when Lott was a congressman, more that a decade ago. Lott's press > secretary claimed the Senator had no knowledge of the group's beliefs. > Because of information supplied to the Washington Post by FAIR, the > Southern Poverty Law Center and researcher Ed Sebesta-and the dogged > reporting of the Post's Thomas B. Edsall-we now know that Senator Lott's > office was, to put it mildly, misinforming the press and the public. > > As this update is being issued, the best information on Lott links to > the CCC shows: > > ** In 1997 the CCC used an endorsement quote from Lott for > direct mail > > ** In 1995 Lott addressed a Mississippi-based CCC function > > ** In 1992 Lott was the featured speaker and issued strong praise of > the CCC at its national conference > > ** The Spring 1989 edition of Citizens Informer, CCC's newsletter, > features a photo of Lott, his uncle-identified as an executive of CCC, > and his cousin-identified as a member of the group > > ** Lott's column has been a regular feature of Citizens Informer for > years Mikal Muharrar of FAIR's Racism Watch desk, cautioned reporters to > remember that Lott is one of many elected officials involved with the > CCC, adding , "the agenda agreement between the CCC and the political > agendas of too many mainstream politicians should warn journalists > against drawing too fine a distinction between old-school racism and the > newer code-word variety driving much of the current political debate." > > For more information on this story you can go to FAIR's web site > ( http://www.fair.org ) and read our "News Advisory" for December 11th > and its December 15th "Update." You might also want to visit the > Washington Post ( > http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/searches/mainsrch.htm ) to read > articles by Thomas Edsall from December 12th, 16th and 19th , and the > column by Post Editorial Board Member Colbert I King. > > > ---------- > > > Feel free to respond to FAIR ( [EMAIL PROTECTED] ). We can't reply to > everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate > documented example of media bias or censorship. All messages to the > 'FAIR-L' list will be forwarded to the editor of the list. > > Also, please send copies of email correspondence, including any > responses, to us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] . > > Feel free to spread this message around. Put it on conferences > where it is appropriate. We depend on word of mouth to get our message > out, so please let others know about FAIR and this mailing list. > > Don't miss a single email from FAIR-L. > To subscribe to FAIR-L send a "subscribe FAIR-L enter your full name" > command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > The subscriber list is kept confidential, so no need to worry about > spammers. > > > You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF FAIR-L" > command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Please support FAIR by becoming a member. > You will receive FAIR's magazine, EXTRA! and its newsletter, EXTRA! > Update. You can become a member by calling 1-800-847-3993 from 9 to > 5 Eastern Time (be sure to tell them you got the information > on-line) or by sending $19 with your name and address to: > > FAIR/EXTRA! Subscription Service > P.O. Box 170 > Congers, NY 10920-9930 > > > FAIR > (212) 633-6700 > http://www.fair.org/ > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > list administrators: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
------------------------------------------ FAIR-L Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting Media analysis, critiques and news reports ------------------------------------------ For Immediate Release Contact: Steve Rendall mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Washington Post Columnist Questions Lott's "Fitness" To be Majority Leader: Record Shows Lott's Involvement With Racist Group Extensive On December 19th, Washington Post Editorial Board Member Colbert I. King began a column by calling on the Senate to reconsider the Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's "fitness" for the job. The reason, said King, was Lott's involvement with the racist Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), widely considered to be the successor to the White Citizens Councils of the Civil Rights era. On December 12th, Senator Lott's press secretary told several media outlets that Lott's involvement with the white-supremacist group, Council of Conservative Citizens, amounted to a single speech to the group, when Lott was a congressman, more that a decade ago. Lott's press secretary claimed the Senator had no knowledge of the group's beliefs. Because of information supplied to the Washington Post by FAIR, the Southern Poverty Law Center and researcher Ed Sebesta-and the dogged reporting of the Post's Thomas B. Edsall-we now know that Senator Lott's office was, to put it mildly, misinforming the press and the public. As this update is being issued, the best information on Lott links to the CCC shows: ** In 1997 the CCC used an endorsement quote from Lott for direct mail ** In 1995 Lott addressed a Mississippi-based CCC function ** In 1992 Lott was the featured speaker and issued strong praise of the CCC at its national conference ** The Spring 1989 edition of Citizens Informer, CCC's newsletter, features a photo of Lott, his uncle-identified as an executive of CCC, and his cousin-identified as a member of the group ** Lott's column has been a regular feature of Citizens Informer for years Mikal Muharrar of FAIR's Racism Watch desk, cautioned reporters to remember that Lott is one of many elected officials involved with the CCC, adding , "the agenda agreement between the CCC and the political agendas of too many mainstream politicians should warn journalists against drawing too fine a distinction between old-school racism and the newer code-word variety driving much of the current political debate." For more information on this story you can go to FAIR's web site ( http://www.fair.org ) and read our "News Advisory" for December 11th and its December 15th "Update." You might also want to visit the Washington Post ( http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/searches/mainsrch.htm ) to read articles by Thomas Edsall from December 12th, 16th and 19th , and the column by Post Editorial Board Member Colbert I King. ---------- Feel free to respond to FAIR ( [EMAIL PROTECTED] ). We can't reply to everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate documented example of media bias or censorship. All messages to the 'FAIR-L' list will be forwarded to the editor of the list. Also, please send copies of email correspondence, including any responses, to us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Feel free to spread this message around. Put it on conferences where it is appropriate. We depend on word of mouth to get our message out, so please let others know about FAIR and this mailing list. Don't miss a single email from FAIR-L. To subscribe to FAIR-L send a "subscribe FAIR-L enter your full name" command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The subscriber list is kept confidential, so no need to worry about spammers. You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF FAIR-L" command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please support FAIR by becoming a member. You will receive FAIR's magazine, EXTRA! and its newsletter, EXTRA! Update. You can become a member by calling 1-800-847-3993 from 9 to 5 Eastern Time (be sure to tell them you got the information on-line) or by sending $19 with your name and address to: FAIR/EXTRA! Subscription Service P.O. Box 170 Congers, NY 10920-9930 FAIR (212) 633-6700 http://www.fair.org/ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] list administrators: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
