Why the Mainstream Media's reluctance to publish WTS vs Quotes battle?

by EscapedLifer1 21 Replies latest jw friends

  • willyloman
    willyloman
    Is it just that the WTS is considered such a marginal fringe group to most that most journalists don't consider this a story?



    That is correct. Journalists don't like stories they don't understand. Did you see the movie, The Shipping News? The lead character, a newspaperman, thought and expressed himself in headlines. That's how journalists think. What's the headline? What's the lead. If there's not easy answer, it's not a story.

    The UN/NGO story was like that, even though it did get some play. But it took a discerning journalist (who writes for the religion page) from a UK newspaper to "get" it and report it in a way the average reader could understand. Even then it wasn't picked up by everyone else. The WTS called the UN a "wild beast" and now they're in bed with them? BFD. Who cares?

    Now the unreported child abuse angle, THAT got national air time. It got exclipsed by the bigger (as regards numbers of victims) story within the Catholic Church, but at least it got play. Now we expect the media to pounce on a story that a religious publishing house is suing some obscure web site for copyright violations? Not gonna happen. Sorry.

    It pisses US off, of course. But nobody else sees this as the big deal that is truly is

  • dilaceratus
    dilaceratus

    Try and think like an editor, for goodness sakes. What would make this story more newsworthy today than it would be tomorrow? Nothing. This story could run next week in the religion section, next month at the tail end of a "News of the Weird" type filler, or tomorrow as a lead editorial. There's no essential reason it needs to run right now-- when someone actually goes to court, when actual evidence of "embarrassment" or "loss of reputation" is presented-- those are "events" on which a larger story might hang, and then possibly grow. Among others, I have made the major news outlets and a good number of individual reporters and editors aware of this story, but reputable news organizations are in the news business, not the SCANDAL! industry. Right now, as far as news goes, it is worth following, but it doesn't have legs.

    Currently, there are a number of issues of compelling interest in the world press, and, for a change, stories the public is actaully following. (While, last August, this whole harassment problem might have been immediately picked up.) This Quotes story does have merit, and a small degree of newsworthiness, but it has no pressing need to be told at the moment. Keep reminding your contacts, and on some particularly slow day, some bored middleweight might want to inflate a blurb into a minor piece of investigative reportage. Stranger things have happened.

    On a more likely venue of media exposure, I have been in contact with some nationally syndicated writers on this topic, and there's agreement that there are principles involved in this case which would make it a viable subject for an American audience, and there is a justifiable tone of outrage which might suit a certain type of commentator. At present, those columnists who seem to be most interested are either among the (seeming legions of) Catholic conservatives or Libertarians-- not exactly my usual crowd, but I wasn't sure who would pick up on this. (The Right will generally not criticize any Christian religion, and the Left has enough problems with I.D.ers and a Faith-based Administration to take on a small-fry problem like this.) Again, the problem is that this is the sort of evergreen piece that could be written now and run any time in the next year, to no appreciable difference (from the columnist's perspective). Still, it has a few juicy details, and anyone with contacts in this field might find a receptive audience.

    Now, if someone wants to be smart and figure out a way to make this story both compelling and have some genuine immediacy, go to it.

  • Kenneson
    Kenneson


    HELP! I just posted the Quotes lawsuit press release on the religion forum at

    http://www.lincolntribune.com/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=17

    Come on over an add your comments. It only takes a couple of minutes to register.

    THANKS!

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    patience

  • I quit!
    I quit!

    I agree with the above posts. The WT is peanuts. They are only important in their own eyes. I think on some level the WT realizes this. They wouldn't have brought forth the suit if they thought it would be on every news channel. The WT really fears the internet but I don't think they know what to do about it. I think they testing the waters here to see what results they get with this type of law suit. They probably know they don't have much of a case but if they can silence some of smaller website with fear of the expences of going to court against a huge corporation they will have some success. If they can conduct this type of attack without any negative press they will probably go after other websites . Particularly the ones they feel won't be able to raise the funds to fight them. They have all the money in the world for this sort of game.

    It is very important to try to get someone to take notice and also offer finacial support if needed.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    What undercover, Leolaia and stillajwexelder said. Try some of the fringe magazines, radio stations, etc. that have an interest in freedom of expression. Also the religious magazines and radio stations. College papers should be good too. How about DOSE?

    The truth is, we have to catch them on a slow day.

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    The 2 things I am trying to point out in my attempts with the media is:

    1. They say quoting them is causing them embarassment and loss of reputation. Silly.
    2. They say their literature is available only to JWs, not to the general public. Yet they have been carrying on a worldwide multi-billion dollar literature distribution campaign sharing that very literature, even offering it for free.

    IMO if anyone's going to pick up the story, they will probably pay attention to those 2 points, because they are both so absurd.

  • I quit!
    I quit!

    The 2 things I am trying to point out in my attempts with the media is:

    1. They say quoting them is causing them embarassment and loss of reputation. Silly.
    2. They say their literature is available only to JWs, not to the general public. Yet they have been carrying on a worldwide multi-billion dollar literature distribution campaign sharing that very literature, even offering it for free.

    IMO if anyone's going to pick up the story, they will probably pay attention to those 2 points, because they are both so absurd. This is absurd Rebel8. This is why it probably belongs on the Jon Stewart show as Zen said. It would probably get some laughs.

  • Kenneson
    Kenneson

    Sent an e-mail to Watchman Fellowship about Quotes lawsuit. The president wrote me back stating that he was aware of the situation. He was interviewed by World magazine yesterday and the topic came up. If anyone gets this magazine, please be on the look out and report back to us. Thank you.

  • Odrade
    Odrade

    You might also consider trying towns where JWs have behaved vilely... Contacting the owner of the News-Register in McMinnville, OR, comes to mind. Remember the Bryant murder/suicide?

    You also have the Oregonian... and don't discount the fringe papers, some of them print very interesting exposes that have only a very small target audience, but it would give a better chance of getting picked up by the newsfeeds, AND it would probably get more page space, thus a better explanation. (Whew, run-on. And that would be why I don't write this stuff. ;) )

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