Petrelis Files

Appeal to NYT's Nagourney to Cover Gay Criticism of HRC; His Reply

Today I called Adam Nagourney and left him a message, a pitch that he write an article about the swirling, increasing and certainly valid questions being raised the past few weeks related to the Human Rights Campaign. Also sent him an email pitch, which he replied to, with a brief note.

It's worth my time, and yours, if you're so inclined to call reporters and editors, and pitch them this idea: Report on the rising gay voices, from the blogosphere to gay newspapers, over HRC.

I hope you'll also contact NYT staffers and push them to cover the controversies hitting HRC, its leadership and the group's agenda for 2007.

My email exchange with Adam:

hi adam,

hope you'll get interested in a story about the critical mass of concern being expressed by diverse parts of the gay community about the performance of HRC these days.

as we see the vote 2008 race unfolding, and queer issues like ann coulter calling edwards a faggot coming up, not to mention longstanding gay matters in congress and nationally, and HRC's inability to forcefully advocate for gays over the DNC, growing numbers of gays raise our voices, wondering why HRC is so lame.

i'll send you some link about recent criticism of HRC and ask that even if you aren't interested in such a story on them, maybe you can point me to someone else at the NYT bureau in DC to pitch this idea to.

thanks.

best,

michael

In a message dated 3/3/2007 3:31:09 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, adamnag@nytimes.com writes:

Hey michael. Got your message. I'm pretty busy now so don't have time to write about HRC but ill ask around. Thanks for thinking of us


-----Original Message-----
From: MPetrelis@aol.com
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 16:34:55
To:anagourney@nytimes.com
Subject: Two great Chris Crain posts on HRC; Bay Times letter: HRC & dog show?

hi adam,

thanks for getting back to me and promising to ask around the NYT and see if there is someone else interested in reporting on the ever-mounting and valid criticism of HRC. i'm going to make a few calls and send emails to your colleagues sheryl gay stohlberg and jeff zeleny, and the new DC chief dean baquet. i gotta push more people at NYT to realize there's a story here.

best,

michael

[Update: Heard back from Adam this evening and sent him a reply.]

In a message dated 3/3/2007 5:29:39 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, adamnag@nytimes.com writes:

Michael:

There is no better way to make sure that I DON”T respond than a pressure campaign like this.

I told you I was going to find someone to see if they were interested in doing it. This was unnecessary.

Adam:

What kind of campaigner would I be if I _didn't_ blog about my interaction with you, and encourage readers to get better gay political coverage from the NYT?

Frankly, I don't know what kind of pressure you think I can muster, given that I'm a lone blogger, just trying to get some damn accountability from the mainstream press about the critical mass of questioning reached on HRC weeks ago.

You probably get more pressure from HRC, or all the presidential candidates and their campaigns, than from me.

Why the NYT has not ALREADY written on the widening schism and deepening questions over the Human Rights Campaign is of real concern to me and I wanted my readers to know what I was up to, in terms of trying to get your paper to write an article.

I consider this exchange with you very much a part of my commitment to transparent media activism.

Frankly, seeing how no mainstream reporter, either at the NYT or elsewhere, has seen fit to write about the mountain of concern over the nation's largest gay group, really reminds me how queer blogs and gay newspapers are a vital force necessary to keeping the gay community informed, not to mention holding HRC accountable.

Regards,

Michael

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