Friday, January 25, 2008

The Year of Ignorance about the West.

I am going only to give you a teaser about the editorial comments at High Country News. It underscores just how far we have to go, especially in the way that some media tries to write the story, you know... make it interesting... and let the truth fall where it will.
This was supposed to be "the year of the West" in national politics. States that had been reliably Republican were suddenly competitive. Two Westerners -- Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat -- were credible candidates for the presidency. The Democrats are holding their national convention in Denver for the first time in a century.

So surely the candidates and the national media would take the trouble to learn something about the West?

Well, not exactly.
It would be funny if not for.....

The task of building a Jeffersonian "informed electorate" seems, at times to be Herculean. Maybe that is why we rely on others to do it. I read an email on a GP National Committee list from our national press secretary, Scott McClarty, reminding people that there was a lot they could do to help spread the word about the Green Party rather than relying on a national press release. I had to agree with him.

Erika McDonald sent our Media Committee links to two letters to the editor by San Francisco Greens today.
Let's all make an effort to put the Green Party into our local papers every week.

2 comments:

Alex Walker said...

Dear Wes,

How do you get something into the Bay Guardian?

Part of my frustration is that it's always some "trick" or you have to "know somebody" to get an Op-Ed into even the so-called alternative media.

Wes said...

You may be on to something. I have been most successful when I have known someone.
- I had the opportunity to write a column for my local "Morgan Hill Times" because was known by the editor.
- I managed to schmooze my way into a conversation with the editor of Pombo's home town newspaper, the Tracy Press, and that resulted in my getting published there.

I would love to build up a list of those Greens who write well and to start trying to syndicate them in some manner. Lacking a pre-existing "name" as credentials, such a syndication may make it easier. There are only 4 Green that I know of who have regular scheduled appearance in the media. All four have had or do have current, ongoing column in local newspapers and one has an election year blog for a television station.

David Cobb in the Eureka (CA) Times-Standard
Pat LaMarche in the Bangor (ME) Daily News
Greg Jocoy (SC) in York County newspaper and now blogs for a TV station.
Myself in the MH Times.