The Value of Consortiumnews

From Editor Robert Parry: Over the past two weeks, as the U.S. government lurched toward a war against Syria, the mainstream U.S. news media fell dutifully in line much as it did a decade ago over the invasion of Iraq. But Consortiumnews.com again remained out of step, asking tough questions and demanding better answers.

I invite you look back through our Syria-related stories of the past couple of weeks, including the investigative work of real journalists, the insights of serious intelligence professionals and the historical context from thoughtful scholars.

Our stories pointed out that the Obama administration was presenting even less public evidence of its claims about Syria than the Bush administration did about Iraq. We also explained which side of the Syrian civil war was blocking peace talks (the U.S.-backed rebels). We provided desperately needed background for this debate.

Journalist Robert Parry.

But finances continue to limit what we can do. We are experiencing one of our worst fund drives ever, raising barely one-fifth of our summer target of $25,000. So, at this crucial time, I ask our readers to contribute what they can.

You can donate by credit card online or by mailing a check to Consortium for Independent Journalism (CIJ); 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 102-231; Arlington VA 22201. (For readers wanting to use PayPal, you can address contributions to our account, which is named after our e-mail address: “consortnew @ aol.com”).

Your donation may be tax-deductible since we are an IRS-recognized 501-c-3 tax-exempt non-profit.

Or, you can buy one of my last four books through the Consortiumnews’ Web site or my latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, through Amazon.com, either in paper or the e-book version. A portion of each sale will go toward our goal.

Or, for only $34, you can get the trilogy that traces the history of the two Bush presidencies and their impact on the world. The three books Secrecy & Privilege, Neck Deep (co-authored with Sam and Nat Parry) and America’s Stolen Narrative would normally cost more than $70.

To get the books for less than half price and help us meet our fundraising goal just go to the Web site’s “Donate” button and make a $34 “donation” using Visa, Mastercard or Discover. We will read a donation of that amount as an order for the trilogy.

If your mailing address is the same as your credit card billing address, we will ship the books to that address. If your mailing address is different, just send us an e-mail at [email protected] and we will make the adjustment. For U.S. orders, we will pay for the shipping. (For non-U.S. orders, add $20 to defray the extra cost.)

You can also take advantage of this special offer by mailing a check for $34 to The Media Consortium; 2200 Wilson Blvd.; Suite 102-231; Arlington VA 22201. Or you can use our Paypal account, “consortnew @ aol.com.” Just make sure you include your mailing address in the message.

Again, thanks for your support.

Robert Parry is a longtime investigative reporter who broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for the Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. He founded Consortiumnews.com in 1995 to create an outlet for well-reported journalism that was being squeezed out of an increasingly trivialized U.S. news media.