Calling all writers: Boycott Gannett!


Gannett is now requiring that all writers of op-ed pieces and even letters to the editor sign away the publication rights to their words in any form in perpetuity. This has a chilling effect on free speech. It is particularly galling since Gannett pays not one single red cent for these pieces. The solution? Stop writing for them!

Gannett is now requiring that all writers of op-ed pieces and even letters to the editor sign away the publication rights to their words in any form in all contexts in perpetuity. This has a chilling effect on free speech. It is particularly galling since Gannett pays not one single red cent for these pieces.

Any writer worth his or her salt should not go along with that. After all, who knows when we might want to use our piece in some article for which we might get paid? Also, suppose you want to ensure that your piece gets read long after the newspaper is gone by posting it on your own website? You can't do that. Your piece will end up in newspaper oblivion.

The solution? Stop writing for them!

This of course means that we lose a major outlet for our opinions. However, it also means that Gannett loses access to quality writers who could produce excellent pieces that would be well-received by their readers.

Unfortunately, thanks to corporate media consolidation, there are few outlets for publication in our area, and as a consequence, if you don't have your letter or op-ed piece published there, you are out of luck. Unless... hey, folks, let's work together on this. Fight back!

One vehicle for Rochester area writers is the Rochester Indymedia website. Look to the right hand side of the page for the link, in red letters, to "Publish Your News." Here you can submit your article and your piece will be published automatically. Your article may be edited later, but only for egregious errors such as an incorrect URL, or for illegal speech, such as libel.

All posts are then fed into the global news network of the Indymedia movement. (Check out the global Indymedia site to find websites of Indymedia centers all around the world.)

But don't stop there. Once you have submitted your post, send e-mails to everyone you know notifying them about your article, and encourage them to pass the link on to everyone they know. Do you participate in listservs or other discussion boards? Post a link to your Indymedia piece on every list or board where the topic is appropriate.

When you send other e-mail to people, include a link to Rochester Indymedia in your signature. And talk up Rochester Indymedia every chance you get. If I like your piece, I will also note of it and link to it from this weblog. If you have your own website or blog, of course you should also post it there, along with a link to Rochester Indymedia.

Eventually the Rochester Indymedia website will become known as the best place to go to read about what's really happening in our community.

In the words of the Indymedia movement slogan: "Be The Media!" Fight back against the corporate giants whose megabucks are squelching free speech all over the world.

Posted: Fri - February 27, 2004 at 08:43 AM          

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