Help Support Independent Media, Write Post Office

Disseminate Information, Protect Democracy
Teresa Stack


The following is a shortened version of a letter drafted by Nation president Teresa Stack and signed by her and her counterparts at more than a dozen independent journals, including National Review, The American Spectator and Mother Jones. To learn what you can do to help, go to www.stoppostalratehikes.com.



James C. Miller III
Chairman, Postal Board of Governors

We write to you today on a matter of great urgency. The recent decision of the Postal Service Board of Governors (BOG) to accept the startling periodical rate recommendations of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) undermines the historic foundation of our national mail system. These new rates will have grave consequences for disseminating the very type of information our Founding Fathers strove to protect and foster when they established the public postal service.

As the publishers of small national magazines that focus primarily on politics and culture, we share a common mission of providing the information essential to a flourishing democracy. We struggle to inform the national dialogue in a way the Founders believed essential to the health of this country. As journals of opinion and ideas, we do not do it for the money; we do it because, like the Founders, we believe it to be a public good.

As you know, in May 2006 the United States Postal Service proposed a rate increase for periodicals of about 11.7 percent, an increase that would have affected all periodicals more or less equally. Instead, in February the PRC recommended a version of the rate proposal put forward by Time Warner, which had previously been rejected by the PRC and strongly opposed by the USPS. This proposal would have a disproportionately adverse effect on small national publications while easing the burden on the largest magazines.

The decision was followed by an industry "comment period" of only eight working days, an impossibly short time for small publications to digest changes so complex that to this day there is no definitive computer model to fully assess them. Nonetheless, the new rates are scheduled to take effect July 15.

We now know that small titles will be devastated. According to an analysis by McGraw-Hill (but not, inexplicably, done by the PRC or BOG), about 5,700 small-circulation publications will incur rate increases exceeding 20 percent; another 1,260 publications will see increases above 25 percent; and hundreds more, increases above 30 percent. Some small magazines will no doubt go out of business. Meanwhile, the largest magazines will enjoy the benefit of much smaller increases and in some cases, decreases. To make matters even worse, editorial content charges will now be based on distance. The system of charging one price however far editorial content travels, which has existed since our country's founding, seems to have been summarily dismissed by the PRC, and then by the governors, with little thought of its future impact.

Keep Up the Pressure to Divest From the Sudan, It's Working

The other day I blogged about the efforts of some groups encouraging divestiture from the Sudan. Well, keep it the pressure, it's working.

According to the New York Sun, President Bush joined the bandwagon.

Mr. Bush said he would block Sudanese government transactions in the U.S. and add 29 companies owned or controlled by Sudan's government to a list banned from doing business with American companies and individuals. The U.S. also would cut off financial transactions involving individuals deemed responsible for the violence.

In addition to possible new steps by the American government, Mr. Bush said he has directed Secretary of State Rice to prepare a new UN Security Council resolution on Sudan.

In New York, British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry told reporters that Britain, America, and France have been working on a draft resolution that would tighten existing sanctions on the government in Khartoum.

Imus Shows We Need More Diversity in the Media

From: Robert McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net

The controversy over Don Imus' racist remarks goes far beyond one bigoted commentator. But getting rid of Imus won't fix the media problem.

Most of our TV and radio stations are owned by giant corporate conglomerates. They don't represent the views of most Americans -- and they make huge profits off the public airwaves.

What we need are more diverse, independent and local media owners. Yet right now less than 10% of TV and radio stations are owned by people of color or women.

But instead of addressing this national disgrace, the Federal Communications Commission is actually trying to let the largest companies buy up even more stations!

Tell the FCC: We Need More Diversity in the Media

What Imus said is just the tip of the iceberg. Scores of other TV and radio hosts regularly make racist and sexist comments. The best way to stop this race to the bottom is to change who's sitting at the top -- and making the decisions about who's behind the mic.

Today, according to one industry study, only 2.5% of radio stations have a person of color in the role of general manager, and only 4.4% have a racial or ethnic minority in the role of news director. The percentage of women in these jobs isn't much higher. No wonder shock jocks like Imus have been able to keep their jobs for so long.

Now is our chance to make a change. In 2003, we stopped the FCC from allowing more media concentration, when more than 3 million people took action to stop Big Media.

Tell Your Friends To Act

This time, we must not only stop further consolidation -- we must demand media ownership that reflects the diversity that makes our nation great.

P.S. For more on how minority owners have been shutout of the media system, read the Free Press study Out of the Picture:" http://action.freepress.net/ct/k72JYo61VB5i/

Suburban Princess Apologizes to Reuters

I apologize to Reuters for my hasty rush to judgement regarding the company's announcement that it was going to start featuring stories on the "Changing Face of the Sudan." (See yesterday's blog for my thoughts on the topic).

Below please find the response to the e-mail I sent the features editor.

Many thanks for your note, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Just to reassure you that a features series in no way means we'll be taking our eye off the ball on any news: we aim with features to try when we can to also tell some of the other stories that are not making headlines.

Kind regards

Sara Ledwith
Features Editor, EMEA

Changing the Face of the Sudan???

Apparently, Reuters.com is "changing the face of the Sudan" by starting to cover more stories occurring in the more peaceful part of the Sudan. Reuters seems to feel the importance of a new motorcycle youth culture, cattle market, and confusing currency is more important than a genocide. Want to give the Sudanese government a little positive spin, Reuters? What's that about? Hmmm...could it be the oil boom in Khartoom? Hey, Reuters, are you being pressured to change your focus? Afraid of losing some big clients? I don't really know the answers to those questions, but if I was a reporter for reuters or elsewhere, I would sure ask!

By the way, I e-mailed the Features Editor at Reuters -- FeaturesEditors@reuters.com -- some comments, letting her know that I hope this new "change of face" didn't mean that Reuters was going to start neglecting coverage of Darfur. Please join me in doing the same.

From Reuters.com:

ADVISORY-The changing face of Sudan: Special Series
Tue 10 Apr 2007 5:44 AM ET

Sudan is most often in the news for the conflict in the far western region of Darfur. But in the meantime peace has returned to the south after more than 20 years of civil war, and an oil boom has started to change the face of the capital Khartoum.

Reuters has prepared a series of features on Sudan, and particularly on the changes in the south, which now has its own autonomous government and where the influence of the Arab Muslim north has started to diminish.

Look out for stories about the factors driving the market for cattle, which are central to the culture of the Nilotic peoples of the south, about the confusing variety of currencies the south has inherited and a new youth motorcycle culture which has come with peace. In Khartoum, we look at the expansion of the hotel industry and a travel postcard from Khartoum will be appearing on our Reuters Life! service on Friday.

The stories will be accompanied by pictures and the series will kick off at 2304 GMT on Tuesday April 10.

-- Reuters wants your feedback on its features file. Please e-mail comments and queries to FeaturesEditors@reuters.com.

Scenes from Bamako

View trailer and scenes from Bamako.

Danny Glover Puts Globalization on Trial

From Newsday

Danny Glover' globalization
BY STEVE PARKS
steve.parks@newsday.com

April 6, 2007

Danny Glover isn't one to sit around waiting for his agent to send him a script for "Lethal Weapon X." He takes a direct hand in managing his own career, negotiating his own film projects. Among those he's negotiated that have come to fruition lately is "Bamako," a film by African director Abderrahmane Sissako ("Waiting for Happiness") opening tonight at Cinema Arts Centre.

Glover, who produced the film, makes a personal appearance at the Huntington film center following the 8 p.m. screening. He'll be interviewed by Newsday critic Gene Seymour in a discussion of "Bamako" and its underlying premise - that globalization spawns so-called "vulture funds," which subjugate Third World nations while fueling the cycle of the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer.

Read more...

Bamako Review

From The New York Post:

LAW AND DISORDERBy V.A. MUSETTO
Rating:
February 14, 2007 -- JUDGE Judy's courtroom was never like this.

The trial in "Bamako," written and directed by crit ics' favorite Abderrahmane Sissako, is being held in the courtyard of a house in a poor section of Bamako, Mali.

Insects swarm around the judges, who are seated at a long table. The setting allows just about anybody to interrupt the legal proceedings: A wedding party passes, a woman insists on singing until a judge gives her money, and an exotic femme fatale named Mele (Aissa Maiga) comes out of her house to get somebody to tie up the back of her colorful dress.

The surroundings may be humble, but the issues argued by eloquent French lawyers aren't: The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are being sued over policies that allegedly have inflicted heavy debt on Africa.

When "Bamako" isn't involved with the legal matters, it turns to Mele (a lounge singer whose performances bookend the trial), her unemployed husband and their child. Attention is focused on the husband when a sleeping cop's gun is stolen.

As an added touch, Sissako throws in a movie within the movie: "Death in Timbuktu," a tongue-in-cheek spaghetti Western featuring Danny Glover.

Credit Sissako for entertainingly blending serious international issues with the daily comings and goings of village life. A bit more Glover wouldn't have hurt - but you can't have everything.

BAMAKO In French and Bambara, with English subtitles. Running time: 118 minutes. Not rated (mock violence). At Film Forum, Houston Street, west of Sixth Avenue.

Bamako press release

Bamako reviews and ticket information.

Danny Glover asks us to sign Bamako Petition

Danny Glover Speaking on the Importance of his New Movie Bamako

Looks like another interesting, thought provoking movie worth seeing.

Amazing Grace

Here's an interesting movie worth seeing about how a small group of people lobbied to get the slave trade illegal in England.

Urge the President to Support Peacekeepers in Darfur

From: David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Last week, Congress passed an emergency supplemental funding bill which includes $150 million to support the peacekeeping effort in Darfur through the end of September.

While we applaud this decision, we are very concerned that this funding will run out on October 1st, leaving peacekeeping forces in Darfur stranded without adequate resources.

The Administration has failed to request any funding for Darfur in the fiscal year 2008 budget, which starts at the beginning of October 2007.

Will you please join us in calling on the President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to urge them to fix this upcoming shortfall now before it's too late? Click here to send your message now.

Congress has agreed that the President failed to address the full funding needs of Darfur peacekeeping in his recent budget request for fiscal year 2008.

To quote the official language of the recently passed funding bill, Congress "is concerned that the Administration has not adequately planned for future peacekeeping activities in Sudan/Darfur in FY 2008 and urges the Secretary of State to work with the Office of Management and Budget to submit a budget amendment for FY 2008 addressing these urgent needs."

Please join us and Congress in urging the President and his Office of Management and Budget to provide the funds to prevent this budget shortfall that would threaten the Darfur peacekeeping effort.

Click here to send your letter to President Bush and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget today.

With your help, we can work with our government to ensure adequate support for the essential peacekeeping effort in Darfur.

Thank you again for your commitment to ending the violence in the region.

Other things you can do to stop the Genocide in Darfur

Visit the darfur wall.


Tell Fidelity to divest!

U.N. Chief Seeks to Delay Sanctions against the Sudan

I am disappointed in U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who asked the U.S. and Britain to delay sanctions against the Sudan, so he can reason with the Khartoum government.
Read more...

One Million Blogs for Peace

217 blogs joined together on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, standing in opposition. By the sixth anniversary, their hope is to have 1,000,000 blogs united in the same purpose. You will notice that my blog is on the list under "Politics of a Suburban Princess, The."



read more | digg story

Elie Wiesel Blasts U.N. For Not Taking Action on Darfur

Nobel prize for peace laureate Eli Wiesel jointly with George Clooney condemns United Nations for not acting upon the genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan. (Broadcast approximately six months ago).

George Clooney on Darfur

BBC interview from the 15th of December 2006 with George Clooney about the situation in Darfur

Make New York State Divest from the Sudan!

From: Ben Prochazka
Save Darfur Coalition

Senator Joe Robach and Assemblyman Darryl Towns have written targeted divestment legislation that will take back New York State's dollars from companies that fund the genocide in Darfur.

However, this bill has not been introduced because the New York State Comptroller has not released a "Fiscal Note" which is needed to allow the legislation to go to a vote.

You can help today by calling New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli:

1. Dial (518) 474-4044

2. Please use the talking points below:

* I'm a New York resident who cares about ending the genocide in Darfur. It is important that New York divest from foreign companies that contribute to the genocide in Darfur where over 400,000 have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since 2003.

*I urge you to release the "Fiscal Note" and allow the legislation to be introduced by Senator Robach and Assemblyman Towns. This action will be vital in helping us stop the genocide.

What is targeted divestment?

Targeted divestment calls for the accelerated engagement of companies that are directly or indirectly helping the Sudanese government perpetuate genocide. If a company refuses to change its behavior in response to pressure from shareholders, the targeted divestment model calls for the removal of invested money from that company.

Please forward this message to your friends and family who live in New York. Working together we can move this legislation forward and help the people of Darfur.

Global Days for Darfur

From: David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Activists across the world have come together to plan "Global Days for Darfur" - a week of rallies, marches, vigils and other events designed to make it clear that "time has run out" for the people of Darfur.

Will you please join us and thousands of committed Darfur activists the week of April 23rd - 30th?

Click here to find an event taking place near you.

At the web page, locate the "Find an Event" section on the right-hand side of the page, enter your zip code and the distance you'd like to search within, then click "Find Events."

As you know all too well, time has run out for the people of Darfur.

We must call attention to the escalating violence and the continued failure of the international community to adequately respond to this crisis.

The Global Days for Darfur week of action offers a perfect forum to help raise awareness of the crisis and to call for the immediate deployment of an international peacekeeping force to Darfur.

Please support your fellow activists in speaking out for the people of Darfur by joining an event in your area. Or, if there are currently no activities planned in your community, we hope you will consider creating your own event during this important week.

Once again, I am grateful for the incredible commitment you and others have shown to stopping the violence in Darfur.

Tell New UN Secretary-General to Take Action on Darfur

Sign petition telling new U.N. Secretary-General,Ban Ki-Moon, to take action on Darfur. It will only take you a minute.

George Clooney Advocates for Darfur