Want to help elect Obama? Contact the AP.

[AZBlue]

It will only take 2-3 minutes of your time but could really make a difference considering how many people read AP stories and how widely they are picked up by media outlets all over the country.

From MoveOn.org:

Last night's convention speech by Barack Obama got rave reviews from voters and pundits. Even top Republican strategists called it "a great speech" and "a terrific speech." And newspapers from Denver to Detroit had headlines like "Obama makes history, vows change" and "Obama rises to historic moment."

But millions of Americans whose local newspapers print Associated Press articles were told a different story. The headline they saw said, "Obama spares details, keeps up attacks." And the article that followed was equally slanted. "Instead of dwelling on specifics," the AP wrote, "he laced the crowning speech of his long campaign with the type of rhetorical flourishes that Republicans mock..."

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann immediately blasted the AP, saying their analysis "strikes me as having borne no resemblance to the speech that you and I just watched. None whatsoever... a remarkable failure of that news organization."

Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a string of attacks on Democrats by the AP's political bureau. That bureau is now led by Ron Fournier, whose objectivity has come into question after revelations that he talked to the McCain campaign last year about becoming a senior political adviser, and that he sent an email to Karl Rove in 2004 telling him to "Keep up the fight."

Can you email the AP's Ron Fournier and CC his boss, Managing Editor Mike Oreskes? Tell them that the public's faith in the 160-year-old AP will be gone if Ron Fournier's bureau keeps writing slanted articles against Democrats.

Here are their emails:
Ron Fournier, AP Washington D.C. Bureau Chief, [e-mail]
Michael Oreskes, AP Managing Editor, [e-mail]

After you email them, please help us track our progress by reporting your email here:
http://pol.moveon.org/call?cp_id=798&tg=508.533&id=13649-7646285-6Uxdj0x&t=1

Under Fournier's leadership, the AP has increasingly moved from straight news to commentary. Some stories written by Fournier about Democrats this election cycle include: "Biden pick shows lack of confidence," "Sen. Hillary Clinton an Artful Dodger," "Obama walks arrogance line," and "Clinton's Politics of Pity."

A recent report by media watchdog group Media Matters showed no equal attacks by Fournier on Republicans. In fact, he wrote only one negative piece about Republicans this presidential election cycle—and that was trashing Mitt Romney for beating John McCain in the Michigan primary! Enough is enough.

THANK YOU! :hi:

[nc4bo]

1. You know, the response thing isn't needed. I've wrote Mr. Fournier a couple times

and have not once had a response to either of them. I definitely don't expect to hear one when I go on and submit another letter.

Has anyone ever gotten a response or do you think they immediately hit the delete icon on all their complaint emails?

[AZBlue]

3. I think that you'll never get a response other than a generic "Thank you for your inquiry....."

And they may not read each e-mail - but if they get a bunch of e-mails saying the same thing, they'll have to take notice.

The next step would be to contact the media outlets that carry their stories - they're even more vulnerable since they rely on advertising $$$.

[Triana]

2. my email to them (used moveon email as a model):

Gentlemen,

Thursday night's convention speech by Barack Obama got rave reviews
from most voters and pundits. Even top Republican strategists called
it "a great speech" and "a terrific speech." And newspapers from
Denver to Detroit had headlines like "Obama makes history, vows
change" and "Obama rises to historic moment."

But millions of Americans whose local newspapers print your Associated
Press articles were told a very different story. The headline they saw
said, "Obama spares details, keeps up attacks." And the article that
followed was equally slanted. "Instead of dwelling on specifics," the
AP wrote, "he laced the crowning speech of his long campaign with the
type of rhetorical flourishes that Republicans mock..."

The speech described in your articles bore no resemblance to the
speech myself and millions of others had just watched. Why is that?
Given the gravity of that speech and the many many other reviews of
it, this is quite a remarkable failure of your "news" organization,
AP.

And even more sadly, this is only the latest in a string of attacks on
Democrats by your political bureau, Mr. Fournier. Most of us know that
bureau is now led by you. You might what to know that your objectivity
has come into SERIOUS question after revelations that you talked to
the McCain campaign last year about becoming a senior political
adviser, and that you also sent an email to Karl Rove in 2004 telling
him to "Keep up the fight."

It would be sad for AP if the public's faith in your 160-year-old news
organization is gone because a party loyalist destroyed its
objectivity. And it WILL be gone, be Mr. Fournier, if your bureau keeps
writing such obviously slanted articles against Democrats.

Under your leadership, the AP has increasingly moved from straight
news to almost strictly commentary. Some stories written by you about
Democrats this election cycle, Mr. Fournier, include: "Biden pick
shows lack of confidence," "Sen. Hillary Clinton an Artful Dodger,"
"Obama walks arrogance line," and "Clinton's Politics of Pity."

A recent report by media watchdog group Media Matters showed no equal
attacks by you on Republicans. In fact, you wrote only ONE negative
piece about Republicans this presidential election cycle—and that was
trashing Mitt Romney for beating John McCain in the Michigan primary!

Enough is enough, Mr. Fournier.

We see your agenda. It's crystal clear. And political agendas have no
place in any worthy news organization, which is what AP USED to be.
Are you trying to destroy AP's reputation as a reliable source for
real news? Because there are plenty of other places to get political
*opinions* (you know what they say about opinions, don't you?). And
there are many other sources people can turn to witness political
agendas at work besides AP.

Why not just report the news instead of spiking it with your own
political opinions due to your loyalty to John McCain - leaving little
to read besides yet another opinion piece in the sea of them already
out there. This is sad for you because you're quickly losing any
credibility. And it's sad for AP because it is quickly losing respect
as a news / press organization and is sinking into a sea of junk
"journalism" that the American public is already inundated with. What
a shame.

[AZBlue]

4. Nicely done!!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: