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Retaking the Media: Being the Squeaky Wheel Email Print

By mole333
02/24/2006 03:27:11 PM EST

One of my most frequen issue is pushing for more activism on the part of progressives to stand up against the right wing media machine more. I try to get progressives flexing their consumer muscles, a powerful weapon that the right weilds far more effectively and more often than we do. I often point out that if we don't make a fuss, complain and boycott, we will continue to lose. Let me emphasize that right wing activists complain all the time and threaten boycotts. AND companies like Verizon, for example, listen to them and pull ads based on these complaints. It is time for us to shout louder and to be heard.

Let me also point out some cases of threatened boycotts and consumer pressure working. The following companies have changed their purchasing or agricultural practices in response to the Union of Concerned Scientists pressure to stop the misuse of antibiotics in animal feed:

McDonald's and Chipotle

TGI Friday's

Tyson's

Gold Kist

Purdue

Foster Farms

(NOTE: the Union of Concerned Scientists is now Pilgrim's Pride to get them to follow the above listed chicken producers in eliminating unneccessary antibiotics in chickenfeed). Some of these companies are quite large and yet a small group of dedicated consumers have gotten them to change their practices. CONSUMER PRESSURE CAN WORK!

Looking at the other side, consumer pressure from the right, Verizon has at least twice pulled ads due to complaints from right wing organizations like American Family Association and the Society for the Prevention of Misandry in the Media (I kid you not!!!). If Verizon will pull and ad because of a group called "the Society for the Prevention of Misandry in the Media," then don't ANYONE tell me that boycotts and threatened boycotts don't work. They don't work if we don't DO them. So, to all doubters, let's just TRY IT for awhile rather than constantly talk ourselves out of it.

I also want to point out that Bob Novak, after our outcry at his outing a CIA agent, did not renew his contract...coincidence? Maybe. But our pressure may have had an impact as well.

So let's target three of the nastiest and most disgusting right wing extremists in the media.

  1. Target Chris Matthews for his comparing Americans who are concerned about the war in Iraq to Osama bin Laden. Please go to THIS SITE for more information.

  2. Targeting Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly for their advocacy of violence and terrorism. I cover this in my newsletter.

A good place to begin is by asking the companies listed below to stop advertising on the shows hosted by the above "pundits."

In honor of Verizon's willingness to pull ads due to complaints from the "Society for the Prevention of Misandry in the Media", I hereby ask you to target them in particular. Tell them that you will boycott them as long as they advertise on MSNBC while MSNBC allows Ann Coulter to advocate terrorism and Chris Matthews to accuse people who oppose Bush of being terrorists. Honestly, if Verizon is willing to listen to the Society for the Prevention of Misandry in the Media, they sure as hell had better be willing to listen to us. Boycott Verizon for their sponsorship of MSNBC's hate-mongering.

Verizon's contact info:

Verizon

Tell Verizon you'll go to Sprint, T-Mobile, or Cingular if they don't do the right thing.

Ivan Seidenberg, Chmn & CEO, Verizon Corp. Branding

212-395-2121

ivan.g.seidenberg@verizon.c om

Robert Engalls Jr, Pres. Retail Mtkg.

bob.ingalls@verizon.com

Robert Varetonni, ED External Comm.

robert.a.varettoni@verizon. com

Eric Rabe, VP External Comm.

eric.rabe@verizon.com

Judy Verses, Sr. VP Natl. Mktg.

703-390-7017

judy.verses@verizon.com

Jerri DeVard, Sr. VP Mktg.

jerri.devard@verizon.com

John Bonomo, PR

212-395-7756

john.j.bonomo@verizon.com

Sharon Cohen-Hagar, PR

972-718-6205

sharon.cohen-hagar@verizon. com

I also contacted Bayer and found them sympathetic. They still gave me a vague answer about not being responsible for the content on programs they advertised on, but I got the feeling that their representatives do not like the image of Chris Matthews and Ann Coulter and the like. They implied that complaints like mine were being noticed by their PR division. I think some friendly pressure from us could get them putting some serious pressure on MSNBC and Fox to tone down their rhetoric. Be more gentle with Bayer than on Verizon, but do write them because I think they may go our way:

Bayer Aspirin

Heiner Springer, Head of Communications

heiner.springer.hs@bayer-ag .de

Michael Schade, Head of Media Relations

michael.schade.ms@bayer-ag. de

Gerard Smith, VP Mktg

973-254-4843

gerard.smith.b@bayer.com

Jay Kolpon, VP Mktg.

973-254-4797

jay.kolpon.b@bayer.com

And for extra credit, in honor of the impending tax season, you might want to send the same message to another MSNBC sponsor, Turbo Tax. Tell Intuit/Turbo Tax that you will do your own taxes without their help this year if they continue to advertise on the Matthews, Coulter or O'Reilly shows:

Intuit/TurboTax

Bill Campbell, Chmn. of the Board

Bill_Campbell@intuit.com

Scott Cook, Co-Founder & Exec. Committee Chairman

650-944-6000

scott_cook@intuit.com

Steve Bennett, Pres.

tel. 650-944-6000

fax 650-944-5295

Scott Gulbransen, Comm.

858-525-7594

scott_gulbransen@intuit.com

This only works if we do it. It is easy to say boycotts don't work and watch your predictions come true...but boycotts DO work. It often takes only a handful of complaints to get noticed and only a handful more to get action from a company. So, as Nike would say, JUST DO IT!


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