Friday, September 16, 2011

US Campaign for Burma Ask the media why they don't report?

Ask the Media: Why Aren't You Reporting on Conflict in Burma?


Are you as frustrated as we are that mainstream media in the US continues to ignore the growing conflict and human rights abuses in Burma? Did you know Burma's generals have been attacking communities in Northern Shan State, breaking a longstanding ceasefire and displacing 30,000 Shan civilians? Probably not by following mainstream media.

As part of our “Fight the Lies: Expose the Truth” campaign, we are asking our supporters to use social media to tell mainstream media to do their job and cover this important global issue.

The Burmese military regime has committed heinous crimes against the people of Burma, especially in the ethnic minority areas for decades, but very little media attention is given to this situation. Now more than ever, Burma needs media attention in order to expose the truth about human rights abuses and mass atrocities happening everyday in Burma.

The good news is that you can make them wake up by using social media. We need to create a barrage of Tweets and Facebook posts so that media networks start to realize that Burma is important!

Here is what you can do:

1)
Send a Letter to the Editor: Tell your local newspaper that Burma is an important issue and should cover it more. We've made it simple - click here to submit a letter.

2) Send mainstream media outlets Twitter and Facebook messages: Ask them why they aren’t covering the issue of Burma. We've even created several sample tweets and posts for you!

For Twitter, tweet a message aimed at a news outlet. For more media outlets click here.

Login to your Twitter account. Send a public tweet mentioning a news outlet or journalist and what they should know about Burma. Do this by using the @ then their Twitter name. See a list of news Twitter handles here.

Here’s an example:
Soldiers of #Burma are ordered to use #rape as a weapon against #women. Why aren’t you reporting this? @CBSNews

For Facebook, post to the walls of media outlets’ Facebook pages. Check out our website for a list of Facebook pages you can post on. Don't forget you have to like their page first in order to post.

Here’s an example:
Hey @ABC News, why haven’t I heard any reports on the humanitarian crisis in Burma? There are over 70,000 new Internally Displaced Persons in Burma and there were already half a million!

Check out our website
for Twitter handles and links to media Facebook pages. We also have more sample tweets and posts.

This is all part of our new campaign “Fight the Lies: Expose the Truth.” Help us get the stories heard that Burma’s regime doesn’t want people to know about. Sign up today to host a storytelling event in your community/school.

In gratitude and solidarity,

Myra and USCB team

Support 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma:

Become a member of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.

Or, make a tax-deductible donation today.

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