Thanks, Readers!

From Editor Robert Parry: We’re still tallying up last-minute donations to our summer fund drive. It appears we fell a bit short of our $25,000 goal, but we came a lot closer than it looked like we would a few weeks back. So, again, thank you, readers!

When I founded Consortiumnews.com nearly two decades ago, my hope was that we would attract some major funders who would support our plan for helping independent investigative journalists with money, research, editing and distribution. That was the reason for the name “consortium.”

As it turned out, however, I was never able to convince major donors that they should invest in this crucial element of democracy. Many thought that the big news outlets would somehow start doing their jobs better. Some foundation executives feared that we might get their “principals” in trouble. Producing honest journalism in the modern American political climate surely would be controversial.

The pleasant part of my surprise, however, was that many small donors, our readers, did understand what we were trying to do and why. You, our readers, have kept us alive. It turned out that you were the “consortium.”

For those who were able to donate to our summer fund drive, remember that your donation may be tax-deductible since we are an IRS-recognized 501-c-3 tax-exempt non-profit.

For anyone who still wants to chip in, 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”).

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.