Friday, August 10, 2007

Jena Six




update: See the comments for a letter template if you would like to use a template and take part in the letter campaign to traditional media. See the bottom of this post for a cut and paste Soulfull.blogspot.com's posted list of media contacts.


Solidarity is a must, and while the word is well-spread about the horrors in other parts of the world, some nightmares have been kept out of the media, that must see the light of day and rolloff the tongues of the masses.

The Jena Six case requires our voices, and the passion in our hearts. At the root of the latin word for heart is cor, which is also at the root of the word courage. Our courage comes from our ability to be compassionate unified members of our community. Where any others struggle or face turmoil, we do also in ways that involve subtle but powerful influence upon our energy.
When our youth are faced with nooses being hung from trees in public schools, and the supposed authorities consider it a playful prank, then turn on the same youth that have been psychologically assaulted with blatantly approved racism, seeking to have them imprisoned, it is time for us to stand up and make for damn sure, the youth are freed and consequences come upon those that obviously believe they might still be above the law...

Please sign the petition, and write to more than one "traditional media' source, as proposed by BlackPerspective.net

Placing pressure on politicians with traditional media sounds a sure way to go to make a visible difference in the way of justice with the Jena Six case. Likewise someone should be suing that school right now. Spread the word. A few seconds of your time can save innocents from imprisonment that is undoubtedly based on the color of their skins. The time to act is now. It will make a difference. The Villager advised the pressure already received has likely influenced the delay of Mychael Bell's court date.

Visit http://www.freethejena6.org/ as well and check the sidebar for more information.

-------------------------------------------Update on Media addresses----------------------------

Thankyou Soulfull.blogspot.com for posting media addresses that will make it easier for folks to write letters, make calls and send emails.

I've cut and pasted her list here:

Network/Cable Television

ABC News
77 W. 66 St., New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-456-7777
General e-mail: netaudr@abc.com

Nightline: nightline@abcnews.com
20/20: 2020@abc.com


CBS News
524 W. 57 St., New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-975-4321
Fax: 212-975-1893

Email forms for all CBS news programs

CBS Evening News: evening@cbsnews.com
The Early Show: earlyshow@cbs.com
60 Minutes II: 60II@cbsnews.com
48 Hours: 48hours@cbsnews.com
Face The Nation: ftn@cbsnews.com


CNN
One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366
Phone: 404-827-1500
Fax: 404-827-1906
Email forms for all CNN news programs


Fox News Channel
1211 Ave. of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 301-3000
Fax: (212) 301-4229
comments@foxnews.com

List of Email addresses for all Fox News Channel programs

Special Report with Brit Hume: Special@foxnews.com
FOX Report with Shepard Smith: Foxreport@foxnews.com
The O'Reilly Factor: Oreilly@foxnews.com
Hannity & Colmes: Hannity@foxnews.com, Colmes@foxnews.com
On the Record with Greta: Ontherecord@foxnews.com


NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
Phone: 212-664-4444
Fax: 212-664-4426

List of Email addresses for all NBC news programs

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams: nightly@msnbc.com
NBC News Today: today@nbc.com
Dateline NBC: dateline@nbc.com


MSNBC
One MSNBC Plaza
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Phone: (201) 583-5000
Fax: (201) 583-5453

CNBC
2200 Fletcher Ave.
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 585-2622
Fax: (201) 583-5453

List of Email addresses for all MSNBC news programs

Hardball with Chris Matthews: hardball@msnbc.com
MSNBC Reports with Joe Scarborough: msnbcreports@msnbc.com


PBS
1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-739-5000
Fax: 703-739-8458

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer: newshour@pbs.org

National Radio Programs

National Public Radio
635 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001-3753
Phone: 202-513-2000
Fax: 202-513-3329
E-mail: Chantal de la Rionda, assistant to the Ombudsman ombudsman@npr.org

All Things Considered: atc@npr.org
Morning Edition: morning@npr.org
Talk Of The Nation: totn@npr.org

List of Email addresses for all NPR news programs


The Rush Limbaugh Show
1270 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020
Phone: 800-282-2882
Fax: 212-563-9166
E-mail: rush@eibnet.com


Sean Hannity Show
E-mail: Phil Boyce, Program Director phil.boyce@abc.com

National Newspapers

The Los Angeles Times
202 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 800-528-4637 or 213-237-5000
Fax: 213-237-4712

Letters to the Editor: letters@latimes.com
Readers' Representative: readers.rep@latimes.com

L.A. Times Contact Information by Department


The New York Times
229 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-556-1234
Fax: 212-556-3690
D.C. Bureau phone: 202-862-0300

Letters to the Editor (for publication): letters@nytimes.com
Write to the news editors: nytnews@nytimes.com

New York Times Contact Information by Department
How to Contact New York Times Reporters and Editors

USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108
Phone: 800-872-0001 or 703-854-3400
Fax: 703-854-2165

Letters to the Editor: editor@usatoday.com

Give feedback to USA Today


The Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty St., New York, NY 10281
Phone: 212-416-2000
Fax: 212-416-2658

Letters to the Editor: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Comment on News Articles: wsjcontact@dowjones.com


The Washington Post
1150 15th St., NW, Washington, DC 20071
Phone: 202-334-6000
Fax: 202-334-5269

Letters to the Editor: letters@washpost.com
Ombudsman: ombudsman@washpost.com

Contact Washington Post Writers and Editors

Magazines

Newsweek
251 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-445-4000
Fax: 212-445-5068

Letters to the Editor: letters@newsweek.com


Time
Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-1212
Fax: 212-522-0323

Letters to the Editor letters@time.com


U.S. News & World Report
1050 Thomas Jefferson St., Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-955-2000
Fax: 202-955-2049

Letters to the Editor letters@usnews.com

News Services / Wires

Associated Press
50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-621-1500
Fax: 212-621-7523

General Questions and Comments: info@ap.org

Partial Contact Information for the Associated Press by Department and Bureau


Reuters
Three Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 646-223-4000

Reuters Editorial Feedback


United Press International
1510 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202.898.8000
FAX: 202.898.8057

Comment and Tips: tips@upi.com

FAIR wants to hear about your media activism. Please send copies of your letters to journalists to

FAIR
112 W. 27th St.
New York, NY 10001
fair@fair.org

We can't always respond, but we look at everything.[Source]

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." - Paulo Freire

9 comments:

Yobachi said...

Great post Zoe. Those are well written and inspiring words.

I hope people will heed the call.

And I answered you about the press release at BlackPerspective.net

Unknown said...

Zoe --> excellent post. Would you be interested in having your blog floated to The AfroSpear for membership?

peace, Villager

PurpleZoe said...

Thankyou Yobachi. Your idea is a great one. I will work over the weekend to compile several letters and see about working a press release. The only thing with a press release is I'm not sure if we have to be official representatives to do so? Are their legalities we should know about?

I'll visit your blog to discuss this when I log back on.

Thankyou also Villager!
I will look at AfroSpear when I am able to surf a bit more. I have to log off in a few to take wrap up some things.

Much Love to you both.

Yobachi said...

Official representative of what? Of the Jena Six defendants?

We are official representatives of our blogs. You do not have to be an official representative of those whom you are advocating for to embark on a social activist agenda.

You can put out a press release about anything you want saying anything you want as long as you don't liable anybody.

PurpleZoe said...

The only experience I've had with press releases was in an official capacity as a rep or writer, so I was unsure of the parameters.
At pr.com they seem to require a company to release them, and I wanted to know how to do this correctly, having little experience with press releases that aren't business related.

I'll be working on the letters and such over the weekend.

PurpleZoe said...

Here's the letter template I think I'll be using to contact traditional media, Yobachi. I sent the press release to your email yesterday. Can you let me know your thoughts on either when you have a free moment?


-----------------------------------------

Dear "insert name of media source'.

I write you with concern related to the lack of traditional media I expect would give the Jena 6 case the exposure that matches its degree of gravity, in the circumstances that have targeted not only innocent but a harassed group of youth in a 'Jim-Crow-esque' fashion.

I'd like to believe that we have come very far and will not tolerate such behavior as a nation steeped in such culturally beautiful diversity, but the lack of traditional media presence causes me to question that theory.

We may have a long way to go indeed.
I ask you as a part of the blogosphere and the 'common folks' experience to expose the injustice in the Jena 6 case as well as in others we may not be aware of at this time.

Thankyou tremendously for your time and consideration. As a 'common folk' we hope to place our trust in traditional media as a voice that represents us through an honorable code of unbiased ethos.

Sincereley
- Zoe (known as Purple Zoe in the blogosphere)


----------------------------------------

PurpleZoe said...

note:

If you are another concerned blogger feel free to use the above template above in your letter writing involvement in the blogging campaign for Jena 6, and fill in your name. I offer it up as a template.

Anonymous said...

I'm conflicted, I may just go to the rally, since I live in Texas on Septmeber 20th. I will make a post on my website today, and donate to the Jena 6 fund. Everyone else please donate money if it' nothing but a dollar, just give what you cna.

PurpleZoe said...

I was able to part with something in the way of money. Most people can contribute something. Prayer helps also, no matter your spiritual preference. Enough is enough. There need be only one legal system not a ghost system that has separate sentencing practices for people of color. We will fight this. The signs are all there. People of color aren't allowing this to go on any longer. Times up for ignorance.