Hi Folks, I encourage you to sign the petitiion on their website, and to send a letter to Bo Jones ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), the publisher of the Washington post.
I have included the text from a sample letter that I will be sending at the very bottom of the email. As always, if you use it, don't forget to sign your name. Jacques -------------- EYEONTHEPOST.ORG KICKS OFF ITS "LET BO KNOW!!" CAMPAIGN WITH PETITION DRIVE Do you care about accuracy in reporting on the Mideast? If so, we need your help. Reporting in the Washington Post has long been overtly biased against Israel. This is evident in the imbalance in space, headlines and photos devoted to Palestinian "suffering," harsh words and phrases applied to Israeli actions, suppression of events favorable to Israel, over-reliance on Palestinian reports that often are false, words implying doubt about Israeli statements, etc. See our document titled "110 Examples" at http://www.eyeonthepost.org/petition/110examples.asp The result is that readers of The Post receive a false - even inverted - picture of what's happening. And remember, readers of The Washington Post include most members of Congress and officials in the U.S. State Department. We should also note that media bias has been cited as a cause of a recent increase in anti-Semitism among young Americans (Richard Morin in Outlook, Washington Post, 1/19/03). The Post's policy was shown clearly in a 1/3/03 editorial ("A Brutal Routine"... copy available upon request) that was called "one of the most outrageous examples of blatant bias I have ever seen" by a web site (www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog) that, ironically, was listed that same day in a Post column, "Readers' Favorite Weblogs". While this editorial is an expression of The Post's opinion, rather than news reporting per se, it illustrates the biased, anti-Israel attitude of those who oversee the news. On Oct. 24, 2002, members of EyeOnThePost.Org met with the Publisher of the Washington Post, Bo Jones, and foreign editor David Hoffman. During this meeting, Mr. Jones asked, "If there is a real problem, why hasn't there been more of an outcry?" Perhaps it is because the community has grown accustomed to The Post's inaccurate and unfair reporting, and many feel it's hopeless to complain. But we don't think it's hopeless. Let's give him his OUTCRY. "LET BO KNOW!!" Our campaign consists of: * Petition calling on Mr. Jones to make his paper tell the truth and report fairly about Israel * Email/letter writing * Public forums with guest speakers * Rally at The Washington Post with presentation of our petition Here's what you can do now to help LET BO KNOW!!: 1. SIGN OUR PETITION, either online at http://www.eyeonthepost.org/petition or at local synagogues. This will take only a few minutes. 2. WRITE to Mr. Bo Jones, Publisher, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20071 (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]). CC: Donald Graham, Chairman, same address (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]). Please CC [EMAIL PROTECTED] with your letters (for data tabulation purposes only) Even if you say only "Tell the truth about Israel," it will help. 3. PASS THIS MESSAGE ON. Please forward this request by email to as many people as you can. The Post's readership and influence is worldwide, so location shouldn't be a concern. Every person who writes or signs will be counted. If you know people of prominence - rabbis, organization leaders, etc. - ask them to help. Post it on any appropriate email listserves. Let's get the word out and deluge Bo Jones with thousands of signatures on our petition and with thousands of emails and letters. Let him hear our "outcry". --------------------- Subject: Stop the anti-Israel bias Dear Mr. Jones, I write you to express a strong dissatisfaction with the anti-Israel bias evidenced in the reporting of the Washington Post. A review of Washington post publications over the past year yields clear and overwhelming examples of this bias: from the use of misleading and biased terminology to the citing of unreliable sources, to selective ommissions. Lest you think that such irresponsible journalism has no consequences, I should point out that it is exactly the above approach that has been explicitly espoused by Arab leaders. This approach is used as a new "weapon," devised after the failure of military attacks, and is aimed at isolating Israel internationally by "...[replacing] the image of Israel as a weak nation surrounded by enemies by the image of an aggressive nation challenging world opinion" (prominent Arab Palestinian strategist and former head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Al-Haytham Al-Ayubi in "Future Arab Strategy in Light of the Fourth War"; Shuun Filastiniyya (Beirut), October 1974). I suspect that aiding such a strategy is not the Washinton post's goal. The reporting in the Washington Post then, appears to be either uninformed by world history, or biased, both of which consititute poor journalism. Fortunately, this is not an irreversible state of affairs. I hope that in the future, fairer reporting and journalistic standards will dominate in the Washington Post's coverage of Israel. I would, if at all possible, appreciate being informed as to any steps made in this regard. Zionist-Info is a service of ZOA. Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message archive is at: www.mail-archive.com { NOTE: Please post messages in plain-text ONLY }
