-Caveat Lector- ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A<>E<>R The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust ---------- : From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] : To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] : Subject: [FAIR-L] Action Alert: Creative Letter Editing at the New YorkTimes : Date: Sunday, December 06, 1998 3:46 AM : : : ------------------------------------------ : FAIR-L : Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting : Media analysis, critiques and news reports : ------------------------------------------ : : : : FAIR Action Alert: Creative Letter Editing at the New York Times : : When the New York Times editorialized in support of threatening the use : of military force against Iraq (11/3/98), Seattle reader Jeff Gustafson : thought that some important facts were left out: namely, the toll on the : Iraqi population exacted by the current sanctions. : : Gustafson wrote a letter to the Times, citing a 1997 UNICEF report that : found that 90,000 people were dying each year as a result of the : sanctions. : : The Times letters department called Gustafson back, asking for a : citation for his figures. He pointed them to a UNICEF website : ( ftp://www2.unicef.org/pub/iraqsa , requires Adobe Acrobat Reader), as : well as references to the same reports in various issues of the New York : Times itself. : : But when Gustafson's letter appeared in the Times on November 5, it : included words that Gustafson never wrote: "According to Iraqi : officials, half a million children have died since the Persian Gulf war : in 1991 for reasons that are related to the economic sanctions." : : Why did the Times alter his letter, changing the source to one that most : readers will find far less credible? Gustafson says one explanation the : New York Times gave was that the "Iraqi official" numbers were more : readily supported by other Times reporting. One might argue that the : Times' letters page should be open to information that the Times hasn't : chosen to report, but in fact the paper has cited UNICEF reports on Iraq : on a number of occasions (10/29/96, 12/10/96,10/20/98, 2/19/98, 1/4/98, : etc.). : : Norma Sosa, the editor of the Times' letters section, was unwilling to : discuss the issue with FAIR. Sosa explained that the editing process was : not open to "outside inspection," and said of the letters: "This is a : dead issue." : : But the New York Times' letters page is an important forum for public : discussion. If the paper is substantively altering the content of : letters without the permission of writers, that's a matter of concern to : all with a stake in the national debate. : : The manipulation of letters has been condemned when it's occurred at : less prestigious news outlets than the New York Times. In fact, in : February, an editor at the New York Post was fired after making : unapproved changes to a writer's letter. : : If you'd like to let the Times know your views on whether letters to the : editor should be rewritten, you can write to the letters section at: : =================== : mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. : Fax: (212) 556-3622 : Letters to the Editor, New York Times : 229 West 43rd St. : New York, NY 10036-3959 : ==================== : And if you'd like to see the letters yourself, read them at : http://www.eatthestate.org/03-10/Backtalk.htm . : : : ---------- : : : 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, 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 e-mail 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] DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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