PolyCentral Reporter

I've posted this in other people's journals, but I'm going to post it here too. The PolyCentral discussion group was infiltrated by an undercover reporter a while back and you can view the video clip of the news report they did here: http://cbs4.com/video/?id=25701@wfor.dayport.com

Overall, I thought the piece was good, but I had a few things to say about their tactics for going undercover and that rude safety comment at the end. I've tried writing emails to the station and the reporter directly as well as her editor, but have received no response. I received corrected information about their method of "asking permission" and have since revised my letter. They claim they asked permission to attend the meeting and were denied permission. First of all, if they were denied permission, they shouldn't have been there with a hidden camera. Second of all, they contacted only the general administrative email address for the group who did put out a feeler on the mailing list, to which no one responded (keep in mind it is a discussion group, with a notice on the website that they are not a "voice" of the poly movement and they are not a media contact). They did not do even a cursory google search, because if they had, they would have found 

smoocherie's website, who is a poly activist and quite possibly would have agreed to an interview, and through her, I would have, as would many other people. Third, I recently found out, that their "request" to interview us was made AFTER they infiltrated the group with a hidden camera! The initial email request is dated after the meeting.

So, here is my letter to the station: 

 

 

 

( my letter )

 -------------------

Anyone who wants to write, here are the email addresses I have found:
http://cbs4.com/contact
news4@wfor.cbs.com
http://forums.miami.com/kr-miamiopinion/start (Miami Herald Speak Up Online)
HeraldEd@MiamiHerald.com 
ivarela@wfor.cbs.com - Ileana Varela on WFOR channel 4, the CBS affiliate in Miami (the reporter)
killeenm@wfor.cbs.com - Mary Killeen, her editor


As we can see, the media is out there and aware of us, and they will get the story they want, with or without our cooperation.  I suggest to anyone for whom this affects, that we take this opportunity to revise our previous DADT and closeted polices.  It is far better for the media to publish what we tell them to publish, than to try and hide ourselves and let them come get the information *they* want, rather than what *we* want.  Secrets only have power over us if we give them that power.  I realize that some people are still affected by close-minded policies about work and family, and it is reasonable for these people to be concerned about privacy.  For everyone else, while I'm not recommending we fly the poly flag on our front porches, we still need to be aware that the media will come looking for us, so we should take this situation as a warning of things to come and prepare ourselves with planned invitations to the more ethical reporters and media representatives (like Montel Williams) and prepared statements that are difficult to take out of context or chopped into more offensive statements to be used for their own purposes.