CANCELLED! Lack of Media Coverage on Woman Abuse Requires Action!

Please
do whatever you can to assist in cancelation of the protest. The
Advocacy and Communications Committee of the LCCEWA as well as the
Women's Events Committee would like to tank you all for your
unbelievable support as we have moved ahead and for the phenomenal
network of potential support. It is quite amazing and very comforting
to know that we can count on so many in our community.

In community,

Donnafaye Milton

for Women's Events Committee

***** 

Subject line: Lack of Media Coverage on Woman Abuse Requires Action!

The Women’s Events Committee on behalf of the London Coordinating Committee
to End Woman Abuse (LCCTEWA) has identified a need for community action.

Violence against women is deadly - an unrelenting problem in our community. Women
are at risk every moment, every day – and the London Free Press, our local newspaper, fails to report the reality and severity of this issue. All attempts to increase coverage and visibility of this matter have been met with resistance and lack of action.

We invite you – the community - to take a stand. Women’s safety is a community responsibility – the media is responsible to the community. The Women’s Events Committee (WEC) is taking the initiative to organize a protest at the London Free Press Office at York and Colborne Streets on Friday May 2nd, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

We predict National Coverage on this issue. Violence against women affects each and every one of us. There is strength in numbers . . . please forward this email! Let’s make some noise!

For additional background information please read the attachment.

In solidarity,

(on behalf of the Women's Events Committee)

Donnafaye Milton

Dear Friends and Supporters

The Women’s Events Committee (WEC), together with the London
Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse Advocacy and Communication
Committee (LCCEWA), invites you to join us as we protest the lack of
local and women’s coverage in the London Free Press. We intend to
protest outside of the London Free Press building at York and
Colborne Streets on Friday, May 2nd between 10 a.m. and 12
p.m.

Despite numerous meetings, phone calls and emails, the London Free Press
continues to ignore community events, local issues and support for
those issues impacting London’s most vulnerable. Below, are just
some examples:

• During woman abuse awareness and prevention month last November, Mayor Anne
  Marie DeCicco, along with the Mayor’s Task for to End Woman Abuse
  members Kate Wiggins and Toby Stolee, met with London Free Press
  Editor Paul Berton and Managing Editor Joe Ruscitti to request
  coverage of many events occurring that month. Although all stories
  were passed along as requested, not one story was published

• In 2006, as a result of four women being murdered, the LCCEWA reached
  out to the media to run PSA’s advising women of our services with
  the key message of “hope and help.” A Channel, all Corus Radio
  stations (FM96, Fresh FM, AM980 and The Hawk), and BOB FM ran the
  ads for us. The London Free Press did not respond to our phone
  messages or emails and therefore ran no PSA’s.

• Significant local initiatives such as the launch of Women’s Community House’s
  30th anniversary or the London Abused Women’s Centre’s 25th anniversary were not covered

• A recent story about the Professional Firefighters’ Association
  grieving the City of London’s decision to terminate a male union
  member who allegedly threatened two female members of the same
  union, who were offered no support from the union was covered by A
  Channel and londontopic.ca. The London Free Press, while present at
  the media conference did not cover the story

• The LCCEWA has never been asked by the London Free Press to comment on
  the issue of gun control. The gun control regulation came about as
  a result of the Montreal Massacre and yet, not once have women’s
  advocates been asked to provide comment

• The anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision came and went in
  London without any local comment by women’s advocates even though
  Dr. Henry Morgentaler had only two years previously received an
  honourary degree from the University of Western Ontario. If fact, no
  one was able to find any coverage of this significant anniversary in
  the London Free Press period.

• The London Free Press published a sexist and misogynist magazine
  recently, M Magazine for Men which had two offensive articles: “Hot
  Babes on Hot Bikes” with a pop out reading, “Whether your ride
  is a hog, a chopper or a rice burner, check out these new 2008
  models – and the girls aren’t bad either;” and “What a guy
  wants,” with the reporter asking men the following question, “What
  is your favourite underwear to see a girl in?”

The LCCEWA is international recognized for its work and efforts towards
ending violence and abuse against women. Both the WEC and the LCCEWA
feel it is time to take action to bring back some integrity to
London’s only daily newspaper and to fill its pages with local and
relevant coverage. We hope you will take the time to join us in this
most important protest.