From Editor Robert Parry: We are setting the goal for our end-of-year fund drive at $50,000, not a huge sum but enough so we can put Consortiumnews on a firmer financial footing. That means we will need help from small, medium and large donors.
I know that there are lots of worthy causes that are seeking your help at this time of year and there are family needs as well. But what we have tried to do for 19 years at Consortiumnews is arm our readers with reliable and important information that empowers you to make the world a better and safer place.
That is especially important when so many forces are pushing in the opposite direction, providing false or slanted information to justify anger and hatred that make the world much more dangerous. Just this past year, Consortiumnews was one of the few voices challenging Official Washington’s warmongering over Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere.
But to continue, we need your help and here are several options:
You can make a donation to our tax-exempt non-profit. You can use a credit card online (we accept Visa, Mastercard or Discover) or you can mail 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”. (Since we are a 501-c-3 non-profit, donations by American taxpayers may be tax-deductible.)
For donations of $100 or more, we are offering special thank-you gifts. If you want one of the gifts, just send us an e-mail at [email protected] including your mailing address and saying whether you would like either:
A CD of the historic joint appearance of the late Gary Webb and me, speaking in December 1996 about the Contra-cocaine scandal at the Midnight Special bookstore in Santa Monica, California. Plus, an autographed copy of my book, Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press and Project Truth, which describes how the CIA’s inspector general finally acknowledged that the CIA did know about the Contra-cocaine smuggling and helped cover it up. (This information is featured in the new movie, “Kill the Messenger.”)
Or a DVD of the 1991 Frontline documentary, “Election Held Hostage,” which examines whether Ronald Reagan’s campaign exploited the 1980 Iran hostage crisis to win the presidency. Plus, a signed copy of my newest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, which provides the latest documentary evidence on that Republican skullduggery.
Another way to help Consortiumnews survive is to buy my three-book trilogy on the Bush dynasty Secrecy & Privilege, Neck Deep and America’s Stolen Narrative for the discount price of only $34, less than half the cover price. Just go to Consortiumnews.com’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.
You can also take advantage of this trilogy 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. (A portion of each sale will go to support our investigative journalism.)
For U.S. orders of the trilogy, we will pay for the shipping. (Regrettably, this three-book offer can only be made for the United States because of increased international postal rates.)
Other ways to help:
If you purchase items through Amazon, you can go to AmazonSmile and select Consortium for Independent Journalism as your preferred charity to receive a fraction of each purchase that you make at Amazon at no extra cost to you.
You can donate stock or other equities, which can offer a tax advantage to you if the stock has appreciated in value. If this stock-donation option appeals to you, I suggest you discuss it with your broker and then contact me at [email protected] for specific instructions on how to transfer the stock.
Again, thanks for your support and for making our 19 years of honest journalism possible.
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.
This site is like my church in many ways. I go there to hear truth within a system of thought as it relates to the unutterable mystery of life. I listen critically to the sermon and the rituals to constantly assess them for their veracity and add my own insight to them. Over years of listening to the pastor and other leaders of the church I have come to trust that their commitment to the truth is as solid as mine. I receive self-knowledge and effect positive change in myself as a result of this discipline. I would consider myself a thief if I were to take those benefits without giving my support to the organization that catalyzes those benefits. Honest preaching doesn’t draw a crowd of rich people eager to support the mission. Some people like to come to church occasionally and get the newsletter, but seldom put anything in the offering plate. We don’t know how much money will come in during the next year, and have to cut back on expenses year after year, always fearing that this will be the last year we will be able to keep a pastor. There is always the temptation to start telling people what they want to hear or taking money from someone who wants you to say what he or she wants you to say. Whether in church or at consortiumnews, people who want to hear the unvarnished and straightforward truth should be willing to support those who are telling it, and not those who are selling propaganda. Now I have to go write a check for the end-of-the-year fund drive.