Civic Journalism: America's Dance With Nazi Style Propaganda

by John Meredith, staff writer American Policy Center

There is a new monster in the cesspool known as the liberal left. Her name is Rebecca Rimel, her method of mind control is "civic journalism," and her means of implementation is the Pew Center for Civic Journalism.

Rimel, a 45 year old ex-nurse, is the president of the financially powerful left wing Pew Charitable Trusts. Once a benevolent charitable foundation of religious conservatives, Rimel has turned the trusts into one of the nation's most active supporters of the degenerate left. She funds programs and organizations that advance the restructuring of the American educational system, radical environmentalism, the obscene projects of the National Endowment for the Arts, and population control. Now she is determined to use civic journalism and Pew's $3.8 billion in assets to force changes in news coverage.

Civic journalism is touted by Rimel's media lackeys as an effective means for involving their readers in the democratic process. To accomplish that goal civic journalism tosses out the code of ethics that professional journalists use.

Under this brand of journalism, Rimel's cronies at the Pew Center pay media to cover stories the way she wants them covered-- with a liberal spin. To get that spin, reporters become advocates. They put an end to their impartiality on conflicting issues. No longer is the debate reported; only the left-wingers' view is presented. Opposing viewpoints are silenced. Stories of failure and wrongdoing are overlooked when they pertain to liberal policy and policy makers. Truth is replaced with slanted public perceptions to ensure continued support for the liberal agenda.

The liberal spin is enhanced by diverting Pew funds to survey polling, public forums, and focus groups which are manipulated to give their stories a false sense of news worthiness. Another tool of Rimel's conspirators is the "newsroom coordinator." Newsroom coordinators are not journalists but leftist community rabble rousers sent by Rimel to ensure that recipients of Pew money promote her agenda.

Pew Spends Millions To Buy Respectability for Unethical Journalism

Rimel has used the vast fortune of the Pew Trusts to bypass government regulations that ban foundations from funding profit seeking enterprises. Her answer was the establishment of the Pew Center for Civic Journalism in 1993.

Like a drug dealer trying to legitimize the source of her booty, Rimel launders Pew Trust money through a third party. The laundered money comes from San Francisco's Tides Foundation. This radical new world order supporter serves as private banker for Rimel. They accept money from the Pew Trusts and make deposits in its' (Tides') name to the Pew Center. The Pew Center then awards grants to media outlets using civic journalism.

Millions have been pledged to legitimize civic journalism by the Pew Center. Aside from pay for the slanting of specific stories, the Pew Center also engages in self-serving seminars and bogus journalistic awards. Other efforts toward legitimacy include the purchase of the Center for the People and Press polling company, funding a journalism program at the University of Georgia, huge donations to the Radio-Television New Directors Foundation, and further indoctrination of National Public Radio.

Some local newspapers compromising their integrity by accepting Pew's money for the highly questionable practice of civic journalism include the Portland Press Herald, Spokesman Review, Duluth News Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, The Journal Star, Cincinnati Community Press, St. Paul Pioneer Press, San Francisco Chronicle, Charlotte Observer, Tallahassee Democrat, Seattle Times, The Press, The Chronicle, Times Union, The Virginian Pilot, Wisconsin State Journal, and The Sun News.

Editors With Integrity Oppose Pew Sponsored Journalism

Civic journalism and the monetary gains that go with slanting stories to Rimel's satisfaction ar/WEB/ROOT/AMERICANPOLICY.COM/ROOT/PublicationsHighlights/Spotlight/5.html

e appealing. Many financially ailing and liberally biased newspapers are lining up for the tainted funds. Fortunately, honorable journalists are starting to speak against this brand of journalism.

Editors who oppose Pew's invasion of the newsroom believe the majority of civic journalism should come out of the advertising department, not the news room. They do not believe it is the reporter's job to influence the outcome of stories. They do believe it is bad for their profession and will ultimately cost them their most precious asset-- credibility.

On behalf of academia and the future journalists it will produce, Marvin Kalb of Harvard University states, "a journalist who becomes an actor, in my view, is overstepping the bounds of his traditional responsibility. When a journalist literally organizes the change and then covers it, I'm uncertain about such traditional qualities as detachment, objectivity, toughness."

Stopping Nazi Style Propaganda In Its Tracks

Civic journalism is mind control; it is the means for Rimel's troops to present their opinions as facts. The stories are nothing more than "feel good" pieces substantiated by inaccurate research that divert attention from the liberal agenda for your community. It is not news. It is not truth. It is not acceptable.

We must stop civic journalism in its tracks. Do not allow Rimel to become America's Geobbels. Do not allow Rimel's wealthy stooges to replace legitimate news reporting with the new world order's liberal propaganda. Do not allow Rimel's army of unscrupulous journalists to brainwash you.

Demand integrity from your hometown media. Let editors, news directors, and others engaged in accepting Pew money for covering stories know that you will no longer accept their liberal propaganda as responsible journalism. If you want your news unbiased, stop buying their newspapers. If you want your news accurate, stop tuning-in their broadcasts. If you want your news truthful, stop Pew's civic journalism fraud.$ m coordinators are not journalists but leftist community rabble rousers sent by Rimel to ensure that recipients of Pew money promote her agenda.