Bryan,
If I'm not mistaken, this story DID hit the Sacramento Bee. It's in Dannys thread and google news links.
Incidently, let me share with you my road to getting it covered here in my community. And thus the promise NOW that it will indeed be printed.
When I knew this story was about to hit the internet, before it actually did, through my contacts offline, I phoned my local news immediately telling them a huge AP news article, concerning the policies of no blood in the JW religion, was going to hit the press the very next day. I impressed upon them how critical this news was, not to me, but to the community of jws in our county and family members who are not jws, yet have no say in medical decisions due to this policy.. I made a strong request that it gets printed ASAP.
The gentleman on the phone, with whom I've gone around in circles before over printing child molestation news within the jw religion, gave me that same runaround this time.
After a few days went by with no news article, anywhere, I started an email campaign to each staff member, stressing the critical nature of the article; i.e. the TORT ESSAY and new directive letter. I still got virtually no response.
I phoned again and asked why it has still been seemingly overlooked, and when did they plan on printing it. He said it probably won't run, due to it's basically old news by now. I said to him "who's fault is it that it has now become 'old news'?" I also told him that I guess I just need to go down to the paper and show him the AP article myself and the related materials. He said there would be no need for that. So I foolishly took that as he was going to make sure it got into the next days paper.
Well, it still had not.
So yesterday, I went down there well prepared. I came in, stated who I was, and the receptionist said "oh yes, I spoke to you on the phone, what can I help you with"? I said I have a story that needs to be printed, and I'm here to see that that gets accomplished. She went and got the deputy editor of the opinions page. I was there about 30 minutes. Needless to say....
It will be printed locally in the next few days and they thanked me for being so concerned for our community. I told them, in their reply email to me, that it is not the citizens job or duty to report critical medical news. That I should not have had to even go down there. That all I wanted was the story to be printed in order that it MAY save just one life. That their dis-concern was disturbing, to say the least.
So, I am waiting now, through this next week to see if they indeed make good on their word. The religions editor assured me, that if it isn't in the A section of the paper this week, it will be in next Saturdays religious section. Of course, I said to her that too much time has already passed, but if another week made a difference as to whether it actually gets in there, I accept that.
If you want Bryan, I can call the editor of your paper and plea the case, like I did here. Let me know. Good luck!
sKally
