SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR FRIENDS AREby Adrienne Lauby
The forty Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship, who called a three-month strike of Pacifica National News, have recently garnered much positive reaction and a bit of surprising criticism. The criticism came from progressive commentator, Saul Landau, who had been asked not to file with Pacifica for the duration of the strike. Landau claimed the strike was not a bona fide labor dispute. Landau and some forty prominent co-signers also chastised the free Pacifica movement, warning "the whole debate could become moot as Pacifica collapses," and saying "it's time...to reunite as a Pacifica family and seek greater cooperation."
In January the freelandce reporters and contributors put their livelihoods on the line after the removal of dan Coughlin and resignation of Verna Avery Brown from Pacifica's daily national news program. The strikers said that, while their efforts may not meet the criteria for a santioned strike or typical labor dispute, the many incidents of censorship at the nation's most honored free-speech institution were far from trivial. The National Writers Union (UAW, AFL-CIO) which represents freelance writers nationwide, endorsed the strike and asked its members not to file stories with Pacifica Network News for its duration.
Other unions also endorsed the strike. "We understand these reporters are fighting a wave of censorship at Pacifica, which threatens to undermine the editorial independence of each station's news division, as well as each station's programming," wrote Amy Dean to Pacifica Chair Mary Francis Berry. Dean is executive officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council which represents over one hundred thousand workers and 110 unions in the Silicon Valley area.
Landau and Pacifica belettled the strike, saying, "The jounalists on the published boycotters list are not PNN's top reporters. Many of the names ont he list are unknown to the PNN staff."
"Of the forty stringers who signed the original letter to management," the strikers replied," ...Thirty-nine had filed previously for PNN... Many on the list have not only won the industry's top awards, but have literally filed dozens of stories for Pacifica over the years, including two of the strike's organizers...As is the nature of freelance reporting, some strikers had filed frequently -- as much as twice a week before the strike...while others filed more occasionally."
Before the Landau letter, over two-hundred academics had joined the protest, encouraging others to refuse to provide comments if contacted by Pacifica Network News. More recently a great many prominent individuals signed a letter supporting the strikers and other Pacifica critics.
"Your call for critics of the Pacifica board to engage in open discussion flies in the face of Pacifica management's refusal to take part in such dialogue," the signers told Landau, "These [the strikers' are very loud canaries in a frightening coal mine," Norman Solomon wrote separately, "Denial has never been a very helpful coping strategy."
In the meantime, strike building continues in part through a striker-produced, alternative news program which is available to the nearly seventy affiliate stations across the country that currently air the Pacifica Network News. The broadcast is aired via the Internet on the strikers' web page at http://www.savepacifica.net/strike/news/index.html. The reporters plan to produce the news-cast at least once a week with both national and international reports. Pacifica station KPFA airs the alternative news cast on Friday afternoons.
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We Demand:
1. Mary Frances Berry, Lynn Chadwick and the Executive Board, issue a statement assuring staff that acts of censorship will immediately cease throughout the network, and will no longer be tolerated.
2. Mary Frances Berry, Lynn Chadwick and the Executive Board, issue a statement which explicitly states that accurate and fair reporting on issues related to, and about, Pacifica will not be punished.
3. Mary Frances Berry, Lynn Chadwick and the Executive Board, issue a statement declaring that the editorial independence of each station's news division will be respected, and each division will be allowed to produce news free of interference from management.
4. Management reinstate Dan Coughlin as News Director for the Pacifica Network News in order to restore credibility and confidence in the network's national-news program. Coughlin was hired in an open, competitive hiring process, and removed from his position without due process or cause.
5. Management hire a female news anchor of color who, according to her political character and perspective, has a proven track record of being committed to progressive causes.
6. Management intercedes to reinstate KPFK program ‘Chicano Radio’ as well as FAIR's ‘CounterSpin’ to WPFW.
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[NOTE: Many reporters making this stand are taking cuts in already marginal incomes and risking future revenues. Please donate to the strike fund. Make contributions payable to Friends of Free Speech Radio, and mail to: "Strike Fund," c/o Friends of Free Speech Radio, 905 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710.]
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