"I've been a punching bag for Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh
for years and I think the paper finally collapsed" -- Robert Scheer, Friday, Nov. 11th
WHAT: Join Peace and Media Activists from Across Los Angeles
As We Put the New Publisher on Notice
Picket LA Times/Protest the Firing of Columnist
Robert Scheer & Limited Coverage of Local Anti-War Movement
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Noon
WHERE: Outside, LA Times Building
First Street Entrance
202 W. 1st St. (at Spring St.)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
WHY: Last Friday, LA Times Publisher Jeff Johnson fired
Robert Scheer who had worked there for 30 years,
the last 12 years as a weekly columnist.
Join Peace Activists from Across Los Angeles
As We Put the New Publisher on Notice
Robert Scheer's Anti-War Voice
is Critical. Los Angeles Times readers
will not Tolerate the Paper's Op-ed Pages
Tilting Further to the Right with the firing of Scheer and the
Hiring of Far-right Columnists Max Boot and Jonah Goldberg
with No One Holding Scheer’s Spot As Passionate
and Contarian Progressive Voice on National Issues
A delegation will also demand a meeting with publisher Jeff Johnson, who reportedly has privately told people that he hated every word that Scheer wrote. We want to read full-spectrum of voices in the LA Times and know that our daily newspaper will fully cover the anti-war movement in Los Angeles.
BRING SIGNS: Suggested slogans.
LA Times Publisher:
Did you hate every word Scheer wrote
exposing lies that led us into the War in Iraq?
LA Times Publisher:
Did you hate every word Scheer wrote
exposing the lies about Wen Ho Lee?
LA Times Publisher:
Do you hate every word Scheer wrote
exposing the lies of the NY Times' Judith Miller?
These "Times" Call for Scheer
What's happening at the LA Times?
Who's voice will be silenced next?
Why no LA Times story Downing Street Teach-in?
Why no LA Times story on the Gold Star Families and
Arlington West Veterans Day March?
Why no LA Times story on Anti-war Protest Against
Pro-war Hilary
More info or things you can do to protest:
Listen/Watch Robert Scheer
On Democracy Now! on Monday Nov. 14.
KPFK 90.7 FM at 6AM and 9AM
DirecTV: Link TV, Channel 375,
DISH Network: Link TV channel 9410
And Free Speech TV, channel 9415
Visit LAObserved.com for latest
developments.
Check-out: Right-wing bloggers are thrilled at Scheer's firing:
Local Liberty http://www.claremont.org/localliberty/archives/004114.html
PrestoPundit http://gregransom.com/prestopundit/?p=662
Patterico http://patterico.com/2005/11/09/3928/robert-scheer-out/
Fax a letter or e-mail letter of protest against the firing
and consider joining a campaign with hundreds of
readers canceling their subscription to the LA Times:
Publisher Jeff Johnson
jeff.johnson@latimes.com
FAX 213.237.4401
CEO of Tribune Publications
Dennis Fitzsimmons
dfitzsimmons@tribune.com
President of Tribune Publications
Scott Smith at ssmith@tribune.com
Editorial Page Editor Andres Martinez
Andres.Martinez@latimes.com
Fax: 213.237.7968
Robert Scheer's Nov. 11 statement:
"On Friday, I was fired as a columnist by the publisher of the Los Angeles Times, where I have worked for thirty years. The publisher Jeff Johnson, who has offered not a word of explanation to me, has privately told people that he hated every word that I wrote. I assume that mostly refers to my exposing the lies used by President Bush to justify the invasion of Iraq.
Fortunately sixty percent of Americans now get the
point but only after tens of thousand of Americans and Iraqis have been killed and maimed as the carnage spirals out of control. My only regret is that my pen was not sharper and my words tougher."
LA Times article on the changes to op-ed pages:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lat11nov11,0,808176.story?coll=la-tot-promo&track=morenews
MORE ABOUT Robert Scheer: A 30-year veteran of political reporting, he was the Vietnam correspondent for Ramparts in the 60s and national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times from 1976 to 1993. He is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, where he teaches a course on media and society and has authored six books, most recently "The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq." http://www.robertscheer.com.
MORE INFO ON PROTEST:
Contact Marcy
palforpeace@aol.com
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