9/11 Truth at the Nat'l Conference on Media Reform - June 6-8, 2008

Our biggest challenge as 9/11 Truth activists has always been to get the basic facts about 9/11 to the American people, without the spin, distortions, omissions, fear-mongering, ridicule, twists surrounding the events that have been used to sell wars, justify the construction of the police state, attack human rights and dissent throughout the world. Our biggests obstacles have been fear, denial, the media and the politicians. Surprisingly, even the so called "independent media" has been abysmal on the topic of 9/11. For the most part, 9/11 Truth activists have been obliged to become the media, in order to get the basic facts to the public. The most resistance has been found within the government and within the media, both loathe to lose their "credibility" and challenge the "Empire' in a direct way.

The National Conference on Media Reform has been an ideal place for activists to do outreach to media makers and media reformers. In St. Louis in 2005, many of us converged to pass out thousands of Deception Dollars and hundreds of David Ray Griffin DVDs. We also held a poster session on "Overcoming Psychological Barriers to 9/11" which was a dynamic, educational experience and a wonderful networking opportunity.

In January 2007 in Memphis, Project Censored, Peace Resource Project and Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance had booths next to one another and a significant impact on the conference, even though the topic was only "officially mentioned" in the workshop where Project Censored spoke on the poor coverage by the Independent Media on the issues of "9/11 Truth," "Stolen Elections" and "Impeachment." I was particularly heartened that the official bookstore for the conference had a large section on "9/11 Truth" (And that the organizer of the bookstore visited our booths to pick up resources that he didn't have!).

This year, next weekend, the National Conference on Media Reform will probably attract thousands again to Minneapolis, where unfortunately the 9/11 Truth topic will not be formally addressed by the plenary speakers, nor in any workshops, unless we do a poster session. This year, although Peace Resources Project and the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance tried to get a booth- we were unable to get one. Fortunately Project Censored will have one and will allow us to offer our free literature at their table. Project Censored was also one of the sponsors of the Truth Emergency Independent Media Summit that took place in Santa Cruz last January. They will be conducting a survey of the attendees of the conference (They hope to get 10% to complete their survey- or 300 responses) on whether a Truth Emergency exists in the United States)...

A few of the questions to be included in the survey are-

The corporate media has failed to keep the American people informed on important issues facing the nation.

o Strongly Agree o Agree o Neutral o Disagree o Strongly Disagree

A Truth Emergency exists in the United States and the absence of action addressing this emergency threatens democracy.

o Strongly Agree o Agree o Neutral o Disagree o Strongly Disagree

Unanswered questions regarding 9/11 are an important truth emergency issue in the US.

o Strongly Agree o Agree o Neutral o Disagree o Strongly Disagree

I plan on going to the conference, helping at the table, passing out literature, Deception Dollars, 9/11 Truth fact sheets, DVDs, helping Project Censored get people to do their survey (The results of which will be published in their annual book, Censored 2009, on the top 25 most censored stories of the year) going to sessions, raising questions... and I hope that other 9/11 Truth activists will be there and join us.

I am sure that the Truth Movement will win when we can openly discuss 9/11 Truth in the media, in Universities, in the street, at family dinners, anywhere, when the public has a grasp of the facts, and can discern whose lying, and whose telling the truth. We need to model courage, civility, and be informed to win over the public, and the press. Actually, maybe we will never win over the corporate press, in Venezuela, Chavez triumphed over a coup attempt- despite the press.

I strongly recommend that anyone who can attend this

does go, it is very worthwhile and fun, too.

This is an excellent opportunity to influence the "alternative" media and push 9/11 truth further into the public sphere.

We can also learn new ways for us to evolve our own media further.

While it is obvious that we need to continue to be our own media, we also need to keep reaching out to the "alternative" media and give them every opportunity to cover the most important story in America today.

I attended the conference in Memphis (I'm in the above photos wearing glasses and a grey coat) and would be going had I the resources to travel from CA to MN right now. I was very encouraged last year as I met many regular folks from the mid-south who were very interested in 9/11 truth and very excited to learn about the 9/11 truth movement.

Everyone who is within a day's drive should try to go for at least one day.

Please feel free to contact me at marin911truth (at) yahoo (dot) com as I am happy to co-ordinate our outreach effort for this conference.

If you contact me soon enough I can ship you the new 9/11 Truth For Peace shirts from truthaction.org's west coast convergence to wear at this conference. I will post something about these shirts later today.

Love is a verb, brothers and sisters, let's get busier!

The truth shall set us free. Love is the only way forward.

FOR THOSE OF YOU ATTENDING

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE focus on the 9/11 Whistleblowers
http://www.nswbc.org/

Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds,Talk about Sibel Edmonds, Talk about Sibel Edmonds

Also Talk About Harry Samit, Talk about Michael J. Springman, Talk About Colleen Rowley, Talk About Randy Glass, Lt Col. Anthony Shaffer, Kenneth Williams, and the dozens more who dealt with pre/post 9/11 intelligence and defense operations.

Talk about Mohammed Atta's relationship with Rudi Dekkers and the three Dutch nationals, how drugs were copiously connected to Atta. Connect the drug trade with the patsies, watch Hopsicker at the New England conference for more details :

How Many Know...But Dare Not Mention

THE ELEPHANT!

"Welcome to the 2008 NCMR

Do the media cover what’s really happening in your community? Getting the full story? Looking for more choices and alternatives? Will new media fulfill its promise? Is your voice being heard in Washington? The only way to fix the media is to organize and fight for change. People from all walks of life and across the political spectrum are joining the movement for media reform — a rapidly growing effort to create a more diverse and democratic media system.

Thousands will gather June 6-8 in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform. This inspiring event will offer bold visions, new ideas and concrete solutions to building a better media system. Please join us and add your voice."

Speakers
[Note the conference program is still a work in progress. This page will be updated as new information or changes are confirmed. Affiliations listed for identification purposes only.]

Abdulai Bah Nah We Yone / People's Production House
Adrienne Maree Brown Ruckus Society
Alex Curtis Public Knowledge
Alex Nogales National Hispanic Media Coalition
Alexandra Russell Free Press
Alexis Walker People's Production House
Alison Hanold Center for Social Media
Allie Pates Females United for Action
Alondra Espejel Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network
Alyce Myatt Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media
Amalia Anderson Main Street Project
Amina Fazlullah U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Amy Goodman Democracy Now!
Andre Banks ColorofChange.org
Andrew Jay Schwartzman Media Access Project
Andrew Puddephatt Global Partners UK
Andrew Slack Harry Potter Alliance
Angela Campbell Institute for Public Representation
Ann Chaitovitz Future of Music Coalition
Anne Elizabeth Moore Author, Unmarketable
Anthony Advincula New America Media
Anthony Marshall Current TV
Anthony Riddle WBAI-FM
Arianna Huffington Huffington Post
Baratunde Thurston Jack and Jill Politics
Barbara Popovic Chicago Access Network Television
Becky Bond CREDO Mobile / Working Assets
Ben Scott Free Press
Beth McConnell Media and Democracy Coalition
Betty Yu Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Bill Moyers Bill Moyers Journal
Bob Edgar Common Cause
Bob McCannon Action Coalition for Media Education
Brandon A. Benavides KSTP-TV 5
Bree Walker KTLK-AM
Brian Garrido City-As-School Manhattan
Brian Reich EchoDitto
Bruce Dixon Black Agenda Report
Bryan Calhoun Label Management Systems
Byron Dorgan U.S. Senator
Byron Hurt Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
C. Edwin Baker University of Pennsylvania Law School
Camille Cyprian Wellstone Action
Candace Clement Free Press
Caroline Fredrickson American Civil Liberties Union
Catherine Crier Cajole Entertainment
Cenk Uygur The Young Turks
Chantz Erolin Yo! The Movement
Cheryl Leanza United Church of Christ, Office of Communication
Chris Murray Consumers Union
Chris Parandian Tin Can Communications
Chris Rabb Afro-Netizen
Christopher Mitchell Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Christy Hardin Smith Firedoglake.com
Cliff Schecter Author, The Real McCain
Coriell Wright Institute for Public Representation
Corrine Yu Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Courtney Young Chica Luna Productions
Craig Aaron Free Press
Craig Newmark craigslist
Cristen Perks EchoDitto
Daisy Hernández ColorLines
Dan Gillmor Arizona State University
Dan Rather Dan Rather Reports
Davey D Hard Knock Radio
David Cobb Liberty Tree Foundation
David Schimke Utne Reader
David Sirota Author, The Uprising
Deanna Zandt Hightower Lowdown/AlterNet
DeAnne Cuellar Texas Media Empowerment Project
DeeDee Halleck Independent filmmaker
Deepa Fernandes WBAI-FM
Diane Farsetta Center for Media and Democracy
Donald Anthonyson Families for Freedom
Duncan Black Eschaton / Media Matters for America
Edwin Okong'o Mshale
Elizabeth Stark Free Culture
Ellen Miller Sunlight Foundation
Eloise-Rose Lee Media Alliance
Eric Boehlert Media Matters for America
Eric Deggans St. Petersburg Times
Eric Klinenberg New York University
Erica Swanson Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Estela Waksberg Guerrini Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC)
Federico Subervi Texas State University
Frannie Wellings Office of Sen. Byron Dorgan
Garlin Gilchrist II TheSuperSpade.com
Gene Kimmelman Consumers Union
Geoffrey Blackwell Chickasaw Nation Industries Inc.
George Curry Syndicated Columnist
George Stoney New York University
Gina Cooper Netroots Nation
Glen Ford Black Agenda Report
Grace Lee Boggs Detroit Summer
Greg Watkins AllHipHop.com
Hannah Nemer TVbyGIRLS
Hannah Sassaman Prometheus Radio Project
Harold Feld Media Access Project
Harry Haasch Community Access Center
Hazel Trice Edney National Newspaper Publishers Association
Hilary Goldstein Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)
Hye-Jung Park Funding Exchange
Inez González National Hispanic Media Coalition
Ira Horowitz Free Press
Isabel Macdonald Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Isobel White SPIN Project
Iván Román National Association of Hispanic Journalists
J. Bennett Guess United Church of Christ
Jamilah King WireTap Magazine
Jane Hamsher Firedoglake.com
Janine Jackson Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)
Janis Lane-Ewart KFAI-FM, Fresh Air Radio
Jared Ball Morgan State University
Jeanette Foreman WRFG Community Radio Atlanta
Jeanette Lee Allied Media Conference
Jeanne Kohl-Welles Washington State Senator
Jed Alpert Mobile Commons
Jef Pearlman Public Knowledge
Jeff Cohen Park Center for Independent Media
Jefferson Morley Center for Independent Media
Jeffrey Davis Association of Public Television Stations
Jenifer Simpson American Association of People with Disabilities
Jennifer Pozner Women In Media & News (WIMN)
Jeremy Iggers Twin Cities Media Alliance
Jessica Clark Center for Social Media
Jessica Gonzalez Institute for Public Representation
Jim Pagliarini Twin Cities Public Television
Joel Kelsey Consumers Union
Joel Kramer MinnPost.com
John Dunbar Associated Press
John Graves Eidolon Communications
John Nichols The Nation
John P. Strohm Entertainment and intellectual property attorney
John Trasviña MALDEF
Jonathan Adelstein FCC Commissioner
Joseph Torres Free Press
Josh Seidenfeld SPIN Project
Josh Silver Free Press
Josh Wolf First Amendment Challenge
Joshua Breitbart People's Production House
Josué Guillén The Praxis Project
Juan Gonzalez New York Daily News / Democracy Now!
Juana Ponce de Leon New York Community Media Alliance
Judith Freeman New Organizing Institute
Julie Chang Schulman Hip Hop Congress
Julie Schwartz Progressive States Network
Karen Toering Reclaim the Media
Karl Carter GTM
Karlos Schmieder Center for Media Justice
Kat Aaron People's Production House
Kathy Magnuson Minnesota Women's Press
Kathy Partridge Interfaith Funders
Katrina vanden Heuvel The Nation
Keith Ellison U.S. House of Representatives
Keith Kamisugi Equal Justice Society
Kenneth DeGraff Office of Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.)
Kim Freeman American Rights at Work
Kim Gandy National Organization for Women
Kristal Brent Zook Hofstra University
Kwame Tsikata Progressive Technology Project
Laura Flanders Grit TV / Live from Main Street
Laura Washington DePaul University
Laura Waterman Wittstock Wittstock & Associates
Lauren-Glenn Davitian CCTV Center for Media & Democracy
Lawrence Lessig Stanford University Law School
Lennox Yearwood Hip Hop Caucus
Leonard Baynes St. John's University School of Law
Leonie Campbell-Williams Asian American Justice Center
Libby Beaty The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
Lillie Coney Electronic Privacy Information Center
Linda Foley The Newspaper Guild-CWA
Linda Jue Chauncey Bailey Project / New Voices in Independent Journalism
Lizz Winstead Shoot the Messenger
Loris Ann Taylor Native Public Media
Louis Massiah Scribe Media Center
Maia Ermita Arts Engine
Mak Yin-ting Hong Kong Journalists Association
Malia Lazu The Gathering Project
Malkia Cyril Center for Media Justice
Marcy Wheeler Firedoglake.com
Mari Castañeda University of Massachusetts
Maria Isa emcee/singer/songwriter
Mariana Castañeda Detroit Summer
Marilyn Mayo Anti-Defamation League
Mario Duarte La Prensa de Minnesota
Mark Kappelhoff Department of Justice
Mark Lloyd Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Mark Potok Southern Poverty Law Center
Marvin Ammori Free Press
Matt Stoller OpenLeft.com
Maura Corbett Qorvis Communications
Medea Benjamin Code Pink
Media Education Foundation
Micah Sifry Personal Democracy Forum
Michael Copps FCC Commissioner
Michael Jacoby Brown MICAH
Michael Skoler Minnesota Public Radio / American Public Media
Michael Winship Writers Guild of America, East
Mike Doyle U.S. House of Representatives
Mike Rogers BlogActive.com
Mike Smith Fenton Communications
Mr. Spocko Spocko's Brain
Nancy Doyle Brown Twin Cities Media Alliance
Naomi Klein Author, The Shock Doctrine
Nicholas Johnson Former FCC Commissioner
Nick Penniman American News Project
Nick Szuberla Appalshop/Thousand Kites Project
Nissan Brown KFAI Youth News Initiative
Norman Solomon Institute for Public Accuracy
Parul Desai Media Access Project
Patric M. Verrone Writers Guild of America, West
Paul Schmelzer Minnesota Monitor
Peter Gordon Thirsty Ear Records
Phil Donahue Executive Producer, Body of War
Presented by the Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG Net)
R.T. Rybak Mayor of Minneapolis
Randall Pinkston CBS News
Rashad Robinson Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Richard Beach University of Minnesota
Richard Healey Grassroots Policy Project
Rob Richie FairVote
Rob Williams Action Coalition for Media Education
Robb Topolski Internet consultant
Robert "Biko" Baker League of Young Voters
Robert Greenwald Brave New Films
Robert Millis Hudson Street Media
Robert Pérez Fenton Communications
Robert W. McChesney Free Press
Roberto Lovato New America Media
Robin Marty Center for Independent Media
Romal J. Tune Clergy Strategic Alliances
Romeo Ramirez Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Ronald Gordon ZGS Communications
Rosa A. Clemente R.E.A.C.Hip Hop Coalition
Rosemary Okello-Orlale African Women and Child Feature Service
Ruby Sinreich OrangePolitics.org
Russell Roybal Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training
Ryan Blethen Seattle Times
Sakura Saunders Prometheus Radio Project
Samantha Muilenburg Reel Grrls
Santita Jackson WVON-AM
Sarah Lutman Minnesota Public Radio / American Public Media
Sascha Meinrath New America Foundation
Scherazade Daruvalla King Project Think Different
Scott Morris Media Education Foundation
Shá Cage MN Spoken Word Association
Shamako Noble Hip Hop Congress
Shawn Chang Free Press
Shireen Mitchell Digital Sistas
Silvia Rivera Radio Arte
Solange Bitol Hansen Public Campaign
Sonali Kolhatkar Uprising, Pacifica Radio
Stephen Bradberry ACORN
Steve Macek Chicago Media Action
Stevie Converse Free Press
stic.man dead prez
Sue Wilson Broadcast Blues
Susan Crawford OneWebDay
Susan Satter Office of the Illinois Attorney General
Susannah Goodman Common Cause
Tania Unzueta Radio Arte
Tim Jones Electronic Frontier Foundation
Tim Sparapani American Civil Liberties Union
Tim Wu Columbia Law School / Free Press
Timothy Karr Free Press
Todd Wolfson Media Mobilizing Project
Toki Wright Yo! The Movement
Tracy Rosenberg Media Alliance
Tracy Van Slyke The Media Consortium
Van Jones Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Vic Rosenthal Jewish Community Action
Vickie Evans-Nash Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Wally Bowen Moutain Area Information Network
Walter Mosley Democracy Initiative
Willie "J.R." Fleming Hip Hop Congress
Yolanda Hippensteele Free Press
Yunuen Rodriguez Females United for Action
Zuag Kimberly Chang Hmong Today

Carol writes:

"This year, although Peace Resources Project and the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance tried to get a booth- we were unable to get one."

Why were they unable to get a booth?

Is there reason to think they were deliberately excluded by the conference sponsors?

My understanding

is that we were too late in requesting a booth and they were all sold out. Lead time is always critical with events like these.

This conference gets more popular each year and it is a presidential election year, which probably adds to the interest.

The Project Censored booth should provide a good base from which to work the conference. The main thing is for a good number of 9/11 truth activists to go and talk to everyone they can there, and to bring up the numerous unanswered questions regarding that terrible day in the many sessions each day.

This is an excellent opportunity to reach out to a very large and active group of people creating media, old and new. We should take full advantage of this opportunity.

The truth shall set us free. Love is the only way forward.

I'll be there

My strongest motivation for going is to learn more about why our media is so effing lame. I suspect they (speakers) will never mention the biggest reason: because the media is controlled by the CIA, who take their orders from the financial elite.

Will raise 9/11 questions during Q and A sessions and will definitely stop by the Project Censored booth.

I just updated my blog with RSS feeds from some terrific writers, such as Richard C. Cook and Joel Hirschhorn. Down the left hand side you see links to their ten most recent columns, automatically updated. These guys tell it like it is. Best not to read before bedtime, could give you nightmares.

http://www.sheilacasey.com

Will report on the conference when I get back.

in a rush, Sheila