Help John Edwards Get Coverage!

The Democratic Activist
John Edwards is getting ripped off ... and so is the American voting public.

While news and informations abounds throughout the media about both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, coverage of the John Edwards message and campaign is almost non-existent.

The reason is obvious: Edwards is the only viable populist, anti-corporatist candidate running for president in 2008, and corporate-owned media outlets are loath to bring any real attention to his message and candidacy.

These days, we activists have to learn to lobby media outlets, as well as government representatives. And now is the perfect time to do so, when Edwards desperately needs all the activist support and mainstream media coverage he can get.

Inspired by the efforts of activist friends who invited me to become involved in this effort, I spent roughly 30 minutes sending 50 email messages to electronic media outlets highlighting the unfair non-exposure given to John Edwards by the national media and requesting equitable, proportionate coverage of the Edwards message and campaign. It was easy, using a short, generic template message and live email links provided on this blog's media contact page.

Here's the message I just sent out:

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Dear People,

Why is the media virtually ignoring John Edwards, while over-covering the campaigns and candidacies of Obama and Clinton?

This unfairness is noticed, and remembered.

We can find all the news we want about Hillary and Obama on lots of other stations. It's everywhere. I am tired of hearing the same spin on the same candidates. By comparison, coverage of John Edwards is almost completely absent from the main stream media.

The American news consumer deserves hard facts and updates on the Edwards Campaign. You can be the first media outlet to move news, information, and coverage about John Edwards into reasonable proportion compared to the time spent covering the other two major Democratic candidates for President in 2008.

Will you do it?

Please reply, and let me know about what you plan to do to stop the coverage blackout on John Edwards.

Thank you.

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Please ... take half an hour, and do the same!

You can use the message I wrote above for talking points or as a starter, but please don't just copy and paste it verbatim, since doing so will dilute the impact of such messages. (Feel free to use part of it, or even most of it, but do make sure your template message is recognizably your own, and not just part of some sort of mass mailing.)

UPDATED 1/8/08: At The Shonbrun Report, writer Will Shonbrun has just written an excellent piece explaining why he's supporting John Edwards as the best candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2008. In his most recent post, titled From Kucinich to Edwards in ‘08, Shonbrun concisely outlines the reasons liberals should rally around Edwards at this critical time and lend all available support to his campaign. His article is a great place to get a quick look at precisely why John Edwards is the best person for the job.

Let's get John Edwards the coverage that he deserves, and that Americans have a right to receive!

Thank you.

Pass it on.
The Democratic Activist