Maynard Institute Launches AmericasWire.Org
Staff Writer
2010-10-27
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In an effort to help the media better cover communities of color and the impact that structural racism has on the families who reside there, America's Wire will provide subscribers with professionally reported, written and edited stories that will help readers better understand the obstacles and challenges that people of color continue to face in America today. The Maynard Institute's Media Center on Structural Racism today launched America's Wire, an innovative news service that will provide enterprising content for wire services, metropolitan newspapers, ethnic/community papers, magazines and websites.
As part of our introductory offer, all media outlets and the public can visit our website at http://www.americaswire.org/ and sign up for a free, 30-day subscription. During that period, subscribers can download and publish our stories free of charge in their media outlets. After the trial period, media outlets must obtain a paid subscription to access our stories. The rates, which vary according to outlet type and size, can be viewed at http://americaswire.org/catalog/5.
Some of the staff writers are Kenneth J. Cooper, a Pulitzer Prize winning-journalist, and Marjorie Valbrun, an award-winning writer, will add a new enterprise story to the wire each month. America's Wire will also have a selection of stories from freelancers. As America's Wire expands, we also expect to provide opinion columns from experts, as well as broadcasts ready for radio and television. The stories are expertly edited by Bill Elsen, formerly an editor for The Washington Post.
"The news media in the United States has historically been a guardian of the public's interest," said Michael K. Frisby, president of America's Wire. "But there has to be a realization that the media have not accurately communicated the continued impact of structural racism in America. Public opinion polls repeatedly show that a majority of whites believe that racism and discrimination no longer exist. But those residing in communities of color know the reality. Their communities are devastated by high unemployment, poor schools, environmental dangers, inadequate housing and many other conditions that are caused by structural racism rooted in American society."