Many of you know Consortiumnews.com, the indispensable news website run by Robert Parry. Anyone who wants real journalism ought to go there on a daily basis, as Parry and his colleagues actually report what's going on, and do it with professional skill as well as perfect honesty.
The people writing for Consortiumnews are either trained reporters--like Bob himself (who worked at Newsweek, until he wearied of their spiking his best stories) and Brian Barger (formerly with AP)--or solid ex-intelligence analysts like Ray McGovern and Colleen Rowley, among other whistle-blowers who have done so much to set the record straight throughout the Bush Years. It's a terrific operation--and it now needs our help. Although Parry runs the whole thing on a shoestring, he's going to have to close the shop, unless we can enable him to raise some funds ASAP. In the short term, Consortiumnews needs $50,000 by the end of the month. Beyond that, Bob hopes to raise an operating budget of $250,000 (for starters). Donations are tax-deductible. You may done on-line, at the URL just below, or mail a check to the Consortium's terrestrial address. Now more than ever, We the People need to know what's going on--and so we need Consortiumnews to stay in business. MCM For on-line donations: https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/consortiumnews/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2043 For donations by mail: Consortium for Independent Journalism 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 102-231 Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 920-7521 (voice) (703) 920-0946 (fax) E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.consortiumnews.com From Editor Robert Parry: When I founded Consortiumnews.com 13 years ago, my goal was to bring solid investigative journalism - the kind of stories that we once saw on the front page of the New York Times or that I used to write for the Associated Press - into the new medium of the Internet. Indeed, in 1995, we were the first Web-based investigative magazine. Since our founding, we have published thousands of stories on a wide range of important topics, from political abuses and unnecessary wars to the emergence of new propaganda tactics and assaults on fundamental liberties. But what has surprised me the most in looking back over those years is that Consortiumnews.com has done more than just produce great stories; it has created what amounts to a truthful counter-narrative to the Establishment's often false and self-serving narrative of this era. Our narrative has been intensely journalistic, stripping away the political posturing that has come to define not only American power centers but also the major U.S. news media, both mainstream and on the right. For instance, when the Washington Post and the New York Times (not to mention Fox News, MSNBC and CNN) were flag-waving about George W. Bush's Iraq invasion, we were acting as traditional journalists, highlighting doubts about the reasons for war and warning of the strategic disaster ahead. Early on, we cited the violations of U.S. law and American principles being committed in the Iraq War, at Guantanamo Bay and through the "war on terror." We also put our stories into a rich historical context, noting, for example, that President Bush's grab for unlimited powers - if left unchallenged - would mean the end of the Founders' vision of a world where everyone possessed "unalienable rights." In effect, Bush's arrogation of powers would be the death knell for the great American Republic. Our counter-narrative - expressed in our many stories - is available free to everyone on the Internet. [We have pulled together much of that history in our books, Lost History, Secrecy & Privilege, and Neck Deep.] I'm also proud that brave ex-U.S. intelligence analysts have published their insightful work at Consortiumnews.com, the likes of Ray McGovern (CIA), Coleen Rowley (FBI), Peter Dickson (CIA) and Sam Provance (Army intelligence). From a personal perspective, I'm excited, too, that my old Associated Press colleague Brian Barger (who worked with me in exposing much of the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s) has begun writing for us (after taking a buy-out from the Washington Post). Since our days at AP, Barger and I have gone in different directions. I've worked at Newsweek, PBS Frontline and Bloomberg News, and Barger moved to CNN's investigative unit and to the Post as a foreign desk editor. Yet, when I started Consortiumnews.com in 1995, one of my hopes was that it would give me a chance to restore that valuable collaboration with Barger. Journalism on a Shoestring As a 501-c-3 non-profit corporation, the Consortium for Independent Journalism - Consortiumnews.com's parent organization - has accomplished all this on a shoestring, proving that you can get a great return on an investment in media. At times when I've talked to foundations or other potential donors about supporting a media entity like ours, I've encountered skepticism because some other media experiments have turned into black holes without much bang for the buck. But we've shown the opposite during our 13 years of existence. In 2008 alone, we will have published about 600 news articles, including many original investigative stories and expert news analyses, while having an operating budget of only about $125,000, or just over $200 for each story we've delivered to our roughly one-third of a million "unique visitors" a month. Besides our own readership, our articles reach millions more because they are re-posted at scores of "aggregator" Internet sites, the likes of Truthout.org and Alternet. Our writers also appear on radio and TV, further amplifying the reach of our information. And we cooperate with other independent news operations, such as TheRealNews.com, a Web-based video news network. With our commitment to stretch every dollar and pinch every penny, those who contribute to us can be confident that they will get more impact on issues that matter to them, like saving the American Republic and bringing real change to the U.S. government, than they would by putting their donations almost anywhere else. Obviously, with a larger budget, we could do much more. For instance, we have plans for expanding into our own video production, adding more reporters, funding major investigative projects and increasing our publicity outreach. In short, because of our roots in mainstream American journalism and our reputation as one of the highest quality news sites on the Internet, Consortiumnews.com can help chart the way toward a more promising media future for the United States. But we can only keep our project alive and growing with help from people who understand the importance of information in a democracy. Our immediate goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of 2008 to meet our immediate budget needs. But our longer-range goal is to build an operating budget of $250,000 or more. So, please consider a tax-deductible donation. We currently raise nearly $100,000 a year in small donations, but - especially in these trying times - we need help from larger donors for us to fill the gap between that figure and our annual budget needs. Thanks so much. Robert Parry, Editor --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [email protected] OR go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. 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