Protest SCOTUS Ruling and Gates Attack on Vaccine Safety Community, Thursday in NYC

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Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the

world!

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Time to Push Back

Since sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I

have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now

midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is

being done to our children.

So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in

New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think

about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about

Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, " Child

Killers " .

And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the

White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having

our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our

children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program

that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011

Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On

Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals

will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at

1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast

corner).

Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that

sends a strong and unequivocal message.

We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those

who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his

irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including

parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are

entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination

choice is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should

be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in

Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful

book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300

people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday

morning to learn of the

Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision

forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts

the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation

Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after

years of venomous litigation.

Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth

Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned

about shielding industry than about the welfare of our children, and more

concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced

autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain

language.

Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express

their condemnation, as reflected by the

Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued

yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are " Killing

Children " Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

stated on a

CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called " anti-vaccine

efforts " -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based

concerns about vaccine safety -- " kill children. "

Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern

about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human

right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the

mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that

vaccines injure and cause death to some children. Those who fight for

vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them,

as Bill Gates would have people do.

Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine

injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination

choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf

you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine

Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will

read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.

There is no " standing still. " Either we move forward, or we

fall behind.

It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine

Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes

is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the

bank.

Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way

to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus

Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay

tuned... your time is coming, too!

Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine

Epidemic by clicking

HERE to

sign up. Unsubscribe

HERE and you will be permanently

removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s

website:

Vaccine Epidemic.

©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001

follow on

Twitter | friend on Facebook |

forward to a friend

Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you are on one of my previous lists.

Feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom if you do not wish to get periodic

newsletters from me.

Our mailing address is:

Adventures In Autism

11 High Street

Brunswick, ME 04011

Add us to your address book

unsubscribe from this list |

update subscription preferences |

view email in browser

[Guest guest]

Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the

world!

Is this email not displaying correctly?

View it in your browser.

Time to Push Back

Since sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I

have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now

midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is

being done to our children.

So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in

New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think

about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about

Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, " Child

Killers " .

And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the

White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having

our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our

children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program

that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011

Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On

Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals

will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at

1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast

corner).

Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that

sends a strong and unequivocal message.

We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those

who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his

irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including

parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are

entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination

choice is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should

be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in

Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful

book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300

people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday

morning to learn of the

Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision

forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts

the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation

Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after

years of venomous litigation.

Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth

Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned

about shielding industry than about the welfare of our children, and more

concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced

autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain

language.

Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express

their condemnation, as reflected by the

Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued

yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are " Killing

Children " Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

stated on a

CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called " anti-vaccine

efforts " -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based

concerns about vaccine safety -- " kill children. "

Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern

about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human

right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the

mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that

vaccines injure and cause death to some children. Those who fight for

vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them,

as Bill Gates would have people do.

Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine

injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination

choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf

you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine

Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will

read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.

There is no " standing still. " Either we move forward, or we

fall behind.

It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine

Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes

is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the

bank.

Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way

to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus

Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay

tuned... your time is coming, too!

Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine

Epidemic by clicking

HERE to

sign up. Unsubscribe

HERE and you will be permanently

removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s

website:

Vaccine Epidemic.

©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001

follow on

Twitter | friend on Facebook |

forward to a friend

Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you are on one of my previous lists.

Feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom if you do not wish to get periodic

newsletters from me.

Our mailing address is:

Adventures In Autism

11 High Street

Brunswick, ME 04011

Add us to your address book

unsubscribe from this list |

update subscription preferences |

view email in browser

[Guest guest]

Apart from being despicable, this genocidelist is extremely dangerous!

(see below)

Ingrid

Does Gates funding of media taint objectivity?

Sandi Doughton and Kristi Heim

Seattle Times, 19 February 2010

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014280379_gatesmedia.html

*Better-known for its battles against global disease, the Gates Foundation has also become a force in journalism. The foundation's contributions to nonprofit and for-profit media have helped spur coverage of global health, development and education issues. But some people worry that its growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.

Did you catch ABC's recent special on an incubator to boost preemie survival in Africa and a new machine to diagnose tuberculosis in the developing world?

Perhaps you saw Ray Suarez's three-part series on poverty and AIDS in Mozambique on the PBS NewsHour. Or listened to Public Radio International's piece on the rationing of kidney dialysis in South Africa.

Beyond their subject matter, these reports have something else in common: They were all bankrolled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Better-known for its battles against global disease, the giant philanthropy has also become a force in journalism.

The foundation's grants to media organizations such as ABC and The Guardian, one of Britain's leading newspapers, raise obvious conflict-of-interest questions: How can reporting be unbiased when a major player holds the purse strings?

But direct funding of media organizations is only one way the world's most powerful foundation influences what the public reads, hears and watches.

To garner attention for the issues it cares about, the foundation has invested millions in training programs for journalists. It funds research on the most effective ways to craft media messages. Gates-backed think tanks turn out media fact sheets and newspaper opinion pieces. Magazines and scientific journals get Gates money to publish research and articles. Experts coached in Gates-funded programs write columns that appear in media outlets from The New York Times to The Huffington Post, while digital portals blur the line between journalism and spin.

The efforts are part of what the foundation calls "advocacy and policy." Over the past decade, Gates has devoted $1 billion to these programs, which now account for about a tenth of the giant philanthropy's $3 billion-a-year spending. The Gates Foundation spends more on policy and advocacy than most big foundations — including Rockefeller and MacArthur — spend in total.

Much of the money goes to analyses of policy questions, such as the best way to finance vaccines for poor countries. But the "advocacy" side of the equation is essentially public relations: an attempt to influence decision-makers and sway public opinion. The ultimate goal is to boost funding and focus from governments, businesses and other foundations for the battle against disease and poverty — particularly now, as Congress considers deep cuts in foreign aid.

"As big as the foundation is, there is no single area we work in where we can remotely succeed without other partners and actors," said Mark Suzman, head of policy and advocacy for the foundation's global-development programs.

While the aims may be laudable, the ability of one wealthy foundation to shape public discourse is troubling to some.

"Even if we were to satisfy ourselves that the Gates Foundation were utterly benign, it would still be worrisome that they wield such enormous propaganda power," said Mark Crispin , professor of media, culture and communications at New York University.

Some of the foundation's approaches are controversial, such as its embrace of genetically modified crops and emphasis on technological fixes for health problems. Critics fear foundation funding of media will muffle those debates. And with only three trustees setting the overall strategy - Bill and Melinda Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett - there's something "deeply anti-democratic" about such a concentration of influence, said.

"We're not dealing with a lively discussion among players. We're dealing with one gigantic entity ... that seems to be very skilled at promoting its agenda," he said.

Foundation officials say they're not out to control the way the media cover global disease and poverty, or even the foundation's own programs. They just want increased visibility for life-and-death issues that often get ignored, especially in the face of shrinking newsroom budgets.

"We're trying to do everything we can to make sure people understand not just the need, but the opportunity, to make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people around the world," said Joe Cerrell, who oversees the foundation's policy, advocacy and communications work in Europe. "For us, it's about making sure that these stories get told."

A growing media force

There's nothing new about powerful organizations attempting to massage media and get attention for their causes.

"It would be naive to believe big-money foundations don't play the same game that corporations and other special interests do," said Marc , assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. "I don't find that inherently troubling."

New York Times columnist Kristof recently argued that "good people engaging in good causes" need to sell the public on the need to take action when children are starving or being stunted by preventable disease.

No charity is better positioned to take on that challenge than Gates, with assets totaling more than $60 billion (including Buffett's donation) and Microsoft's media-savvy legacy to draw upon.

The foundation's direct funding for media and media programs, which so far totals nearly $50 million, initially followed the path taken by other foundations and corporations: Money for journalist training and for nonprofits such as NPR and PBS. But rather than providing general support, Gates usually stipulates reporting on the issues it cares about most: diseases such as HIV, malaria and TB; poverty in the developing world; and education in the United States.

The International Center for Journalists got nearly $6 million for a program that pairs veteran journalists with news organizations in Africa. One collaboration helped reverse a ban on midwives in Malawi by pointing out the hazards faced by pregnant women en route to clinics, said program supervisor Jerri Eddings. Dozens of developing-world journalists have been trained in reporting about AIDS through a Gates grant to the National Press Foundation.

At PBS' NewsHour, Suarez said a $3.6 million Gates grant has allowed him to cover stories that would otherwise have been out of reach, such as river blindness in Tanzania and Mexican programs to improve nutrition among the poor.

Other grants include $3.3 million to Public Radio International, $5 million to NPR and $1 million to Frontline. Grumbling among media observers peaked late last year when the foundation for the first time teamed up with major for-profit operations such as ABC and the Guardian.

The foundation provided ABC $1.5 million to fund overseas travel for reports on global health and development. ABC put up $4.5 million. Neither the foundation nor the Guardian will reveal the dollar amount of the deal that helped the British daily establish an online forum on global health and development.

The Seattle Times received a $15,000 Gates grant through Seattle University for a series of stories on homelessness in 2010.

Some uneasiness

Recipients of Gates' largesse all say the foundation does not dictate the specific stories they cover.

Foundation officials did provide the NewsHour a list of potential story subjects, but no mandates, Suarez said. "The beauty of this relationship is that they trust our editorial process," he said. "It's not like we're getting calls from Washington state saying: It's time to do HIV. It's time to do malaria."

But some journalists are uneasy with the arrangements. Seattle freelancer Fortner stopped writing about Gates for Crosscut after the local online news site received general support grants that total $500,000, contingent on matching funds. Guardian health Editor Boseley has said she often shies away from coverage of the foundation — positive or negative — for fear of being accused of a conflict.

, the journalism professor, finds it "laughable" when media claim Gates money doesn't influence their coverage. Every grant comes with at least one string attached, he said: the hope that the grant will be renewed. Recipients can be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.

Indeed, few of the news organizations that get Gates money have produced any critical coverage of foundation programs. The Guardian is an exception, with a recent blog post that blasted the foundation's associations with agricultural giant Monsanto, a leader in genetically modified crops.

"I don't know if the Gates Foundation's projects work," said. "And if the Gates Foundation is going to pay for all the news coverage around this, we're never going to know."

A blurry line

A larger question is whether Gates funding steers media coverage in directions that serve specific foundation goals, both humanitarian and political, diverting attention from other issues.

Some grants have indeed spelled out coverage topics, including male circumcision to reduce transmission of AIDS, and clinical trials — the latter of which are crucial for Gates-supported vaccines and drugs being tested in the developing world.

The foundation's latest media push, launched by Melinda Gates in 2010, is to shift coverage from stories of despair to stories that show problems can be solved.

"People need to hear and see these success stories," she said. "In the U.S. media, too often you hear what is not working."

There's nothing wrong with telling positive stories, said global- health expert Laurie Garrett, of the Council on Foreign Relations, which has received Gates funding. But it's important to recognize that it's also a political tactic, she pointed out. Everyone who works in international aid and development is terrified government spending will be slashed. Gates-sponsored research shows people are more likely to donate or support foreign aid after seeing hopeful news. Success stories also show that past investments haven't been wasted, the foundation's Suzman said.

To get those positive stories to the public, the foundation has launched a blitz that covers multiple bases, including the establishment of digital outlets that bypass conventional media. After commissioning a British think tank to identify development and health successes, the foundation showcased such stories in a series of videos and articles called "Living Proof."

At least one of the "Living Proof" stories touted by Melinda Gates has already found its way into the mainstream media. The use of skin-to-skin cradling called "kangaroo care" to boost newborn survival was featured recently in a New York Times column.

When ABC launched its Gates-funded global health initiative, "Be the Change: Save a Life," it mirrored that positive approach. Each segment of the inaugural program, hosted by Diane Sawyer, paired problems with possible solutions, like a low-cost incubator for premature babies.

A website encourages people to donate money. Within the first week, more than $600,000 poured in.

Foundation officials say they don't require ABC to report positive stories, though one of the grant's goals is to "inspire and motivate the millions of viewers to take action."

Another foundation grant, to California-based LinkTV, is explicit in its aim of spreading good news. The satellite network got $2 million to create a digital video library that spotlights progress in global development and health. Called ViewChange, its target audience includes bloggers and journalists, as well as nonprofits that can use the videos in their own advocacy campaigns, said general manager Hanamura.

Some news outlets present reports from Gates-funded health organizations as "news," but those reports aim to inspire people to donate money, rather than uncover facts, according to a recent analysis of global-health journalism.

And while many positive stories are valid, media observers point out that an emphasis on good news can mean less watch-dogging of programs that may not be working.

A wide reach

Beyond direct links to media, the foundation also supports a dizzying mix of organizations whose goals include influencing media coverage. An interested citizen might think she's getting news and information from a variety of sources, but many of them might be funded by Gates.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-care think tank, has received nearly $20 million from Gates to provide global health information and analyses. That includes media fact sheets and reporting guides, a free video library for journalists and an influential daily roundup of global health news.

Gates gives money to policy magazines such as Health Affairs and Global Health Magazine, and has funded scientific journals to publish articles on global health. Scientists trained in a Gates-funded program to "engage policy makers, thought leaders, the media and the public" brief lawmakers and write op-ed pieces that appear in newspapers and on news sites.

In the field of education, where Gates' emphasis on teacher quality and small schools has been hotly debated, a $500,000 grant to the Brookings Institution aims to "re-engineer media coverage of secondary and postsecondary education." Education Week magazine has received $4.5 million from the Gates Foundation.

These are just a smattering of the hundreds of policy and advocacy grants the foundation has issued. Gates isn't the sole funder for most of the groups, nor does Gates money mean grantees march to the same beat. But with virtually every major player in global health — and many in education — receiving Gates money, it's clear the foundation's voice is highly amplified in the media and beyond.

"It's an echo chamber," said.

Garrett, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, said she would prefer a more diverse set of voices. But without Gates funding and interest, long-neglected diseases and the suffering of the world's poor would receive far less attention than they do today, she pointed out.

"Back when I was covering global health, I was pretty much the only person on the beat," she said. "That's not the case anymore, and that's good news."

Seattle Times reporter Mayo contributed to this report.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@...

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2781 or kheim@...

[box]

Some of the Gates-funded news organizations and their projects

Link Media, Inc. | ViewChange

All Africa Foundation | AllAfrica.com

Steps International Foundation | Great stories can change our world

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation | Kaiser Foundation global health portal

Project Hope | Health Affairs Magazine

ABC | "Be the Change: Save a Life"

PBS NewsHour | Global Health Watch

The Guardian | Global development site

International Center for Journalists | Programs for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa

Public Radio International | Global health coverage

Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the world!Is this email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser.

Time to Push BackSince sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is being done to our children.So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, "Child Killers".And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at 1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast corner).Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that sends a strong and unequivocal message.We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination choice is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300 people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday morning to learn of the Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after years of venomous litigation.Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned about shielding industry than about the welfare of our children, and more concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain language.Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express their condemnation, as reflected by the Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are "Killing Children"Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stated on a CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called "anti-vaccine efforts" -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based concerns about vaccine safety -- "kill children."Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that vaccines injure and cause death to some children. Those who fight for vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them, as Bill Gates would have people do.Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.There is no "standing still." Either we move forward, or we fall behind.It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the bank.Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay tuned... your time is coming, too!Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine Epidemic by clicking HERE to sign up. Unsubscribe HERE and you will be permanently removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s website: Vaccine Epidemic.©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001 follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are on one of my previous lists. Feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom if you do not wish to get periodic newsletters from me. Our mailing address is: Adventures In Autism11 High StreetBrunswick, ME 04011Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5898 (20110223) __________The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.http://www.eset.com

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[Guest guest]

Apart from being despicable, this genocidelist is extremely dangerous!

(see below)

Ingrid

Does Gates funding of media taint objectivity?

Sandi Doughton and Kristi Heim

Seattle Times, 19 February 2010

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014280379_gatesmedia.html

*Better-known for its battles against global disease, the Gates Foundation has also become a force in journalism. The foundation's contributions to nonprofit and for-profit media have helped spur coverage of global health, development and education issues. But some people worry that its growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.

Did you catch ABC's recent special on an incubator to boost preemie survival in Africa and a new machine to diagnose tuberculosis in the developing world?

Perhaps you saw Ray Suarez's three-part series on poverty and AIDS in Mozambique on the PBS NewsHour. Or listened to Public Radio International's piece on the rationing of kidney dialysis in South Africa.

Beyond their subject matter, these reports have something else in common: They were all bankrolled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Better-known for its battles against global disease, the giant philanthropy has also become a force in journalism.

The foundation's grants to media organizations such as ABC and The Guardian, one of Britain's leading newspapers, raise obvious conflict-of-interest questions: How can reporting be unbiased when a major player holds the purse strings?

But direct funding of media organizations is only one way the world's most powerful foundation influences what the public reads, hears and watches.

To garner attention for the issues it cares about, the foundation has invested millions in training programs for journalists. It funds research on the most effective ways to craft media messages. Gates-backed think tanks turn out media fact sheets and newspaper opinion pieces. Magazines and scientific journals get Gates money to publish research and articles. Experts coached in Gates-funded programs write columns that appear in media outlets from The New York Times to The Huffington Post, while digital portals blur the line between journalism and spin.

The efforts are part of what the foundation calls "advocacy and policy." Over the past decade, Gates has devoted $1 billion to these programs, which now account for about a tenth of the giant philanthropy's $3 billion-a-year spending. The Gates Foundation spends more on policy and advocacy than most big foundations — including Rockefeller and MacArthur — spend in total.

Much of the money goes to analyses of policy questions, such as the best way to finance vaccines for poor countries. But the "advocacy" side of the equation is essentially public relations: an attempt to influence decision-makers and sway public opinion. The ultimate goal is to boost funding and focus from governments, businesses and other foundations for the battle against disease and poverty — particularly now, as Congress considers deep cuts in foreign aid.

"As big as the foundation is, there is no single area we work in where we can remotely succeed without other partners and actors," said Mark Suzman, head of policy and advocacy for the foundation's global-development programs.

While the aims may be laudable, the ability of one wealthy foundation to shape public discourse is troubling to some.

"Even if we were to satisfy ourselves that the Gates Foundation were utterly benign, it would still be worrisome that they wield such enormous propaganda power," said Mark Crispin , professor of media, culture and communications at New York University.

Some of the foundation's approaches are controversial, such as its embrace of genetically modified crops and emphasis on technological fixes for health problems. Critics fear foundation funding of media will muffle those debates. And with only three trustees setting the overall strategy - Bill and Melinda Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett - there's something "deeply anti-democratic" about such a concentration of influence, said.

"We're not dealing with a lively discussion among players. We're dealing with one gigantic entity ... that seems to be very skilled at promoting its agenda," he said.

Foundation officials say they're not out to control the way the media cover global disease and poverty, or even the foundation's own programs. They just want increased visibility for life-and-death issues that often get ignored, especially in the face of shrinking newsroom budgets.

"We're trying to do everything we can to make sure people understand not just the need, but the opportunity, to make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people around the world," said Joe Cerrell, who oversees the foundation's policy, advocacy and communications work in Europe. "For us, it's about making sure that these stories get told."

A growing media force

There's nothing new about powerful organizations attempting to massage media and get attention for their causes.

"It would be naive to believe big-money foundations don't play the same game that corporations and other special interests do," said Marc , assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. "I don't find that inherently troubling."

New York Times columnist Kristof recently argued that "good people engaging in good causes" need to sell the public on the need to take action when children are starving or being stunted by preventable disease.

No charity is better positioned to take on that challenge than Gates, with assets totaling more than $60 billion (including Buffett's donation) and Microsoft's media-savvy legacy to draw upon.

The foundation's direct funding for media and media programs, which so far totals nearly $50 million, initially followed the path taken by other foundations and corporations: Money for journalist training and for nonprofits such as NPR and PBS. But rather than providing general support, Gates usually stipulates reporting on the issues it cares about most: diseases such as HIV, malaria and TB; poverty in the developing world; and education in the United States.

The International Center for Journalists got nearly $6 million for a program that pairs veteran journalists with news organizations in Africa. One collaboration helped reverse a ban on midwives in Malawi by pointing out the hazards faced by pregnant women en route to clinics, said program supervisor Jerri Eddings. Dozens of developing-world journalists have been trained in reporting about AIDS through a Gates grant to the National Press Foundation.

At PBS' NewsHour, Suarez said a $3.6 million Gates grant has allowed him to cover stories that would otherwise have been out of reach, such as river blindness in Tanzania and Mexican programs to improve nutrition among the poor.

Other grants include $3.3 million to Public Radio International, $5 million to NPR and $1 million to Frontline. Grumbling among media observers peaked late last year when the foundation for the first time teamed up with major for-profit operations such as ABC and the Guardian.

The foundation provided ABC $1.5 million to fund overseas travel for reports on global health and development. ABC put up $4.5 million. Neither the foundation nor the Guardian will reveal the dollar amount of the deal that helped the British daily establish an online forum on global health and development.

The Seattle Times received a $15,000 Gates grant through Seattle University for a series of stories on homelessness in 2010.

Some uneasiness

Recipients of Gates' largesse all say the foundation does not dictate the specific stories they cover.

Foundation officials did provide the NewsHour a list of potential story subjects, but no mandates, Suarez said. "The beauty of this relationship is that they trust our editorial process," he said. "It's not like we're getting calls from Washington state saying: It's time to do HIV. It's time to do malaria."

But some journalists are uneasy with the arrangements. Seattle freelancer Fortner stopped writing about Gates for Crosscut after the local online news site received general support grants that total $500,000, contingent on matching funds. Guardian health Editor Boseley has said she often shies away from coverage of the foundation — positive or negative — for fear of being accused of a conflict.

, the journalism professor, finds it "laughable" when media claim Gates money doesn't influence their coverage. Every grant comes with at least one string attached, he said: the hope that the grant will be renewed. Recipients can be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.

Indeed, few of the news organizations that get Gates money have produced any critical coverage of foundation programs. The Guardian is an exception, with a recent blog post that blasted the foundation's associations with agricultural giant Monsanto, a leader in genetically modified crops.

"I don't know if the Gates Foundation's projects work," said. "And if the Gates Foundation is going to pay for all the news coverage around this, we're never going to know."

A blurry line

A larger question is whether Gates funding steers media coverage in directions that serve specific foundation goals, both humanitarian and political, diverting attention from other issues.

Some grants have indeed spelled out coverage topics, including male circumcision to reduce transmission of AIDS, and clinical trials — the latter of which are crucial for Gates-supported vaccines and drugs being tested in the developing world.

The foundation's latest media push, launched by Melinda Gates in 2010, is to shift coverage from stories of despair to stories that show problems can be solved.

"People need to hear and see these success stories," she said. "In the U.S. media, too often you hear what is not working."

There's nothing wrong with telling positive stories, said global- health expert Laurie Garrett, of the Council on Foreign Relations, which has received Gates funding. But it's important to recognize that it's also a political tactic, she pointed out. Everyone who works in international aid and development is terrified government spending will be slashed. Gates-sponsored research shows people are more likely to donate or support foreign aid after seeing hopeful news. Success stories also show that past investments haven't been wasted, the foundation's Suzman said.

To get those positive stories to the public, the foundation has launched a blitz that covers multiple bases, including the establishment of digital outlets that bypass conventional media. After commissioning a British think tank to identify development and health successes, the foundation showcased such stories in a series of videos and articles called "Living Proof."

At least one of the "Living Proof" stories touted by Melinda Gates has already found its way into the mainstream media. The use of skin-to-skin cradling called "kangaroo care" to boost newborn survival was featured recently in a New York Times column.

When ABC launched its Gates-funded global health initiative, "Be the Change: Save a Life," it mirrored that positive approach. Each segment of the inaugural program, hosted by Diane Sawyer, paired problems with possible solutions, like a low-cost incubator for premature babies.

A website encourages people to donate money. Within the first week, more than $600,000 poured in.

Foundation officials say they don't require ABC to report positive stories, though one of the grant's goals is to "inspire and motivate the millions of viewers to take action."

Another foundation grant, to California-based LinkTV, is explicit in its aim of spreading good news. The satellite network got $2 million to create a digital video library that spotlights progress in global development and health. Called ViewChange, its target audience includes bloggers and journalists, as well as nonprofits that can use the videos in their own advocacy campaigns, said general manager Hanamura.

Some news outlets present reports from Gates-funded health organizations as "news," but those reports aim to inspire people to donate money, rather than uncover facts, according to a recent analysis of global-health journalism.

And while many positive stories are valid, media observers point out that an emphasis on good news can mean less watch-dogging of programs that may not be working.

A wide reach

Beyond direct links to media, the foundation also supports a dizzying mix of organizations whose goals include influencing media coverage. An interested citizen might think she's getting news and information from a variety of sources, but many of them might be funded by Gates.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-care think tank, has received nearly $20 million from Gates to provide global health information and analyses. That includes media fact sheets and reporting guides, a free video library for journalists and an influential daily roundup of global health news.

Gates gives money to policy magazines such as Health Affairs and Global Health Magazine, and has funded scientific journals to publish articles on global health. Scientists trained in a Gates-funded program to "engage policy makers, thought leaders, the media and the public" brief lawmakers and write op-ed pieces that appear in newspapers and on news sites.

In the field of education, where Gates' emphasis on teacher quality and small schools has been hotly debated, a $500,000 grant to the Brookings Institution aims to "re-engineer media coverage of secondary and postsecondary education." Education Week magazine has received $4.5 million from the Gates Foundation.

These are just a smattering of the hundreds of policy and advocacy grants the foundation has issued. Gates isn't the sole funder for most of the groups, nor does Gates money mean grantees march to the same beat. But with virtually every major player in global health — and many in education — receiving Gates money, it's clear the foundation's voice is highly amplified in the media and beyond.

"It's an echo chamber," said.

Garrett, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, said she would prefer a more diverse set of voices. But without Gates funding and interest, long-neglected diseases and the suffering of the world's poor would receive far less attention than they do today, she pointed out.

"Back when I was covering global health, I was pretty much the only person on the beat," she said. "That's not the case anymore, and that's good news."

Seattle Times reporter Mayo contributed to this report.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@...

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2781 or kheim@...

[box]

Some of the Gates-funded news organizations and their projects

Link Media, Inc. | ViewChange

All Africa Foundation | AllAfrica.com

Steps International Foundation | Great stories can change our world

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation | Kaiser Foundation global health portal

Project Hope | Health Affairs Magazine

ABC | "Be the Change: Save a Life"

PBS NewsHour | Global Health Watch

The Guardian | Global development site

International Center for Journalists | Programs for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa

Public Radio International | Global health coverage

Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the world!Is this email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser.

Time to Push BackSince sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is being done to our children.So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, "Child Killers".And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at 1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast corner).Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that sends a strong and unequivocal message.We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination choice is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300 people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday morning to learn of the Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after years of venomous litigation.Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned about shielding industry than about the welfare of our children, and more concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain language.Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express their condemnation, as reflected by the Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are "Killing Children"Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stated on a CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called "anti-vaccine efforts" -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based concerns about vaccine safety -- "kill children."Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that vaccines injure and cause death to some children. Those who fight for vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them, as Bill Gates would have people do.Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.There is no "standing still." Either we move forward, or we fall behind.It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the bank.Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay tuned... your time is coming, too!Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine Epidemic by clicking HERE to sign up. Unsubscribe HERE and you will be permanently removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s website: Vaccine Epidemic.©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001 follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are on one of my previous lists. Feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom if you do not wish to get periodic newsletters from me. Our mailing address is: Adventures In Autism11 High StreetBrunswick, ME 04011Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5898 (20110223) __________The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.http://www.eset.com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5898 (20110223) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

JUSTUS MEANS JUST US!

I just found out that Monsanto in enjoying the same benifits as the drug companies! Not only can the farmer be sued for damages, if he was to loose his farm the contract with Monsanto goes with the land he lost! Please watch this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0dK2mRt4w

If you have a problem getting this I will have it on my <1eyednewt> Youtube channel

From: Ingrid Blank <enb1@...>Subject: RE: Protest SCOTUS Ruling and Gates Attack on Vaccine Safety Community, Thursday in NYCno-forced-vaccination Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 7:45 AM

Apart from being despicable, this genocidelist is extremely dangerous!

(see below)

Ingrid

Does Gates funding of media taint objectivity?

Sandi Doughton and Kristi Heim

Seattle Times, 19 February 2010

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014280379_gatesmedia.html

*Better-known for its battles against global disease, the Gates Foundation has also become a force in journalism. The foundation's contributions to nonprofit and for-profit media have helped spur coverage of global health, development and education issues. But some people worry that its growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.

Did you catch ABC's recent special on an incubator to boost preemie survival in Africa and a new machine to diagnose tuberculosis in the developing world?

Perhaps you saw Ray Suarez's three-part series on poverty and AIDS in Mozambique on the PBS NewsHour. Or listened to Public Radio International's piece on the rationing of kidney dialysis in South Africa.

Beyond their subject matter, these reports have something else in common: They were all bankrolled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Better-known for its battles against global disease, the giant philanthropy has also become a force in journalism.

The foundation's grants to media organizations such as ABC and The Guardian, one of Britain's leading newspapers, raise obvious conflict-of-interest questions: How can reporting be unbiased when a major player holds the purse strings?

But direct funding of media organizations is only one way the world's most powerful foundation influences what the public reads, hears and watches.

To garner attention for the issues it cares about, the foundation has invested millions in training programs for journalists. It funds research on the most effective ways to craft media messages. Gates-backed think tanks turn out media fact sheets and newspaper opinion pieces. Magazines and scientific journals get Gates money to publish research and articles. Experts coached in Gates-funded programs write columns that appear in media outlets from The New York Times to The Huffington Post, while digital portals blur the line between journalism and spin.

The efforts are part of what the foundation calls "advocacy and policy." Over the past decade, Gates has devoted $1 billion to these programs, which now account for about a tenth of the giant philanthropy's $3 billion-a-year spending. The Gates Foundation spends more on policy and advocacy than most big foundations — including Rockefeller and MacArthur — spend in total.

Much of the money goes to analyses of policy questions, such as the best way to finance vaccines for poor countries. But the "advocacy" side of the equation is essentially public relations: an attempt to influence decision-makers and sway public opinion. The ultimate goal is to boost funding and focus from governments, businesses and other foundations for the battle against disease and poverty — particularly now, as Congress considers deep cuts in foreign aid.

"As big as the foundation is, there is no single area we work in where we can remotely succeed without other partners and actors," said Mark Suzman, head of policy and advocacy for the foundation's global-development programs.

While the aims may be laudable, the ability of one wealthy foundation to shape public discourse is troubling to some.

"Even if we were to satisfy ourselves that the Gates Foundation were utterly benign, it would still be worrisome that they wield such enormous propaganda power," said Mark Crispin , professor of media, culture and communications at New York University.

Some of the foundation's approaches are controversial, such as its embrace of genetically modified crops and emphasis on technological fixes for health problems. Critics fear foundation funding of media will muffle those debates. And with only three trustees setting the overall strategy - Bill and Melinda Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett - there's something "deeply anti-democratic" about such a concentration of influence, said.

"We're not dealing with a lively discussion among players. We're dealing with one gigantic entity ... that seems to be very skilled at promoting its agenda," he said.

Foundation officials say they're not out to control the way the media cover global disease and poverty, or even the foundation's own programs. They just want increased visibility for life-and-death issues that often get ignored, especially in the face of shrinking newsroom budgets.

"We're trying to do everything we can to make sure people understand not just the need, but the opportunity, to make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people around the world," said Joe Cerrell, who oversees the foundation's policy, advocacy and communications work in Europe. "For us, it's about making sure that these stories get told."

A growing media force

There's nothing new about powerful organizations attempting to massage media and get attention for their causes.

"It would be naive to believe big-money foundations don't play the same game that corporations and other special interests do," said Marc , assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. "I don't find that inherently troubling."

New York Times columnist Kristof recently argued that "good people engaging in good causes" need to sell the public on the need to take action when children are starving or being stunted by preventable disease.

No charity is better positioned to take on that challenge than Gates, with assets totaling more than $60 billion (including Buffett's donation) and Microsoft's media-savvy legacy to draw upon.

The foundation's direct funding for media and media programs, which so far totals nearly $50 million, initially followed the path taken by other foundations and corporations: Money for journalist training and for nonprofits such as NPR and PBS. But rather than providing general support, Gates usually stipulates reporting on the issues it cares about most: diseases such as HIV, malaria and TB; poverty in the developing world; and education in the United States.

The International Center for Journalists got nearly $6 million for a program that pairs veteran journalists with news organizations in Africa. One collaboration helped reverse a ban on midwives in Malawi by pointing out the hazards faced by pregnant women en route to clinics, said program supervisor Jerri Eddings. Dozens of developing-world journalists have been trained in reporting about AIDS through a Gates grant to the National Press Foundation.

At PBS' NewsHour, Suarez said a $3.6 million Gates grant has allowed him to cover stories that would otherwise have been out of reach, such as river blindness in Tanzania and Mexican programs to improve nutrition among the poor.

Other grants include $3.3 million to Public Radio International, $5 million to NPR and $1 million to Frontline. Grumbling among media observers peaked late last year when the foundation for the first time teamed up with major for-profit operations such as ABC and the Guardian.

The foundation provided ABC $1.5 million to fund overseas travel for reports on global health and development. ABC put up $4.5 million. Neither the foundation nor the Guardian will reveal the dollar amount of the deal that helped the British daily establish an online forum on global health and development.

The Seattle Times received a $15,000 Gates grant through Seattle University for a series of stories on homelessness in 2010.

Some uneasiness

Recipients of Gates' largesse all say the foundation does not dictate the specific stories they cover.

Foundation officials did provide the NewsHour a list of potential story subjects, but no mandates, Suarez said. "The beauty of this relationship is that they trust our editorial process," he said. "It's not like we're getting calls from Washington state saying: It's time to do HIV. It's time to do malaria."

But some journalists are uneasy with the arrangements. Seattle freelancer Fortner stopped writing about Gates for Crosscut after the local online news site received general support grants that total $500,000, contingent on matching funds. Guardian health Editor Boseley has said she often shies away from coverage of the foundation — positive or negative — for fear of being accused of a conflict.

, the journalism professor, finds it "laughable" when media claim Gates money doesn't influence their coverage. Every grant comes with at least one string attached, he said: the hope that the grant will be renewed. Recipients can be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.

Indeed, few of the news organizations that get Gates money have produced any critical coverage of foundation programs. The Guardian is an exception, with a recent blog post that blasted the foundation's associations with agricultural giant Monsanto, a leader in genetically modified crops.

"I don't know if the Gates Foundation's projects work," said. "And if the Gates Foundation is going to pay for all the news coverage around this, we're never going to know."

A blurry line

A larger question is whether Gates funding steers media coverage in directions that serve specific foundation goals, both humanitarian and political, diverting attention from other issues.

Some grants have indeed spelled out coverage topics, including male circumcision to reduce transmission of AIDS, and clinical trials — the latter of which are crucial for Gates-supported vaccines and drugs being tested in the developing world.

The foundation's latest media push, launched by Melinda Gates in 2010, is to shift coverage from stories of despair to stories that show problems can be solved.

"People need to hear and see these success stories," she said. "In the U.S. media, too often you hear what is not working."

There's nothing wrong with telling positive stories, said global- health expert Laurie Garrett, of the Council on Foreign Relations, which has received Gates funding. But it's important to recognize that it's also a political tactic, she pointed out. Everyone who works in international aid and development is terrified government spending will be slashed. Gates-sponsored research shows people are more likely to donate or support foreign aid after seeing hopeful news. Success stories also show that past investments haven't been wasted, the foundation's Suzman said.

To get those positive stories to the public, the foundation has launched a blitz that covers multiple bases, including the establishment of digital outlets that bypass conventional media. After commissioning a British think tank to identify development and health successes, the foundation showcased such stories in a series of videos and articles called "Living Proof."

At least one of the "Living Proof" stories touted by Melinda Gates has already found its way into the mainstream media. The use of skin-to-skin cradling called "kangaroo care" to boost newborn survival was featured recently in a New York Times column.

When ABC launched its Gates-funded global health initiative, "Be the Change: Save a Life," it mirrored that positive approach. Each segment of the inaugural program, hosted by Diane Sawyer, paired problems with possible solutions, like a low-cost incubator for premature babies.

A website encourages people to donate money. Within the first week, more than $600,000 poured in.

Foundation officials say they don't require ABC to report positive stories, though one of the grant's goals is to "inspire and motivate the millions of viewers to take action."

Another foundation grant, to California-based LinkTV, is explicit in its aim of spreading good news. The satellite network got $2 million to create a digital video library that spotlights progress in global development and health. Called ViewChange, its target audience includes bloggers and journalists, as well as nonprofits that can use the videos in their own advocacy campaigns, said general manager Hanamura.

Some news outlets present reports from Gates-funded health organizations as "news," but those reports aim to inspire people to donate money, rather than uncover facts, according to a recent analysis of global-health journalism.

And while many positive stories are valid, media observers point out that an emphasis on good news can mean less watch-dogging of programs that may not be working.

A wide reach

Beyond direct links to media, the foundation also supports a dizzying mix of organizations whose goals include influencing media coverage. An interested citizen might think she's getting news and information from a variety of sources, but many of them might be funded by Gates.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-care think tank, has received nearly $20 million from Gates to provide global health information and analyses. That includes media fact sheets and reporting guides, a free video library for journalists and an influential daily roundup of global health news.

Gates gives money to policy magazines such as Health Affairs and Global Health Magazine, and has funded scientific journals to publish articles on global health. Scientists trained in a Gates-funded program to "engage policy makers, thought leaders, the media and the public" brief lawmakers and write op-ed pieces that appear in newspapers and on news sites.

In the field of education, where Gates' emphasis on teacher quality and small schools has been hotly debated, a $500,000 grant to the Brookings Institution aims to "re-engineer media coverage of secondary and postsecondary education." Education Week magazine has received $4.5 million from the Gates Foundation.

These are just a smattering of the hundreds of policy and advocacy grants the foundation has issued. Gates isn't the sole funder for most of the groups, nor does Gates money mean grantees march to the same beat. But with virtually every major player in global health — and many in education — receiving Gates money, it's clear the foundation's voice is highly amplified in the media and beyond.

"It's an echo chamber," said.

Garrett, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, said she would prefer a more diverse set of voices. But without Gates funding and interest, long-neglected diseases and the suffering of the world's poor would receive far less attention than they do today, she pointed out.

"Back when I was covering global health, I was pretty much the only person on the beat," she said. "That's not the case anymore, and that's good news."

Seattle Times reporter Mayo contributed to this report.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@...

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2781 or kheim@...

[box]

Some of the Gates-funded news organizations and their projects

Link Media, Inc. | ViewChange

All Africa Foundation | AllAfrica.com

Steps International Foundation | Great stories can change our world

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation | Kaiser Foundation global health portal

Project Hope | Health Affairs Magazine

ABC | "Be the Change: Save a Life"

PBS NewsHour | Global Health Watch

The Guardian | Global development site

International Center for Journalists | Programs for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa

Public Radio International | Global health coverage

Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the world!Is this email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser.

Time to Push BackSince sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is being done to our children.So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, "Child Killers".And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at 1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast corner).Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that sends a strong and unequivocal message.We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination choice

is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300 people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday morning to learn of the Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after years of venomous litigation.Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned about shielding industry than about the

welfare of our children, and more concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain language.Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express their condemnation, as reflected by the Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are "Killing Children"Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stated on a CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called "anti-vaccine efforts" -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based concerns about vaccine safety -- "kill children."Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that vaccines injure and cause death to some children.

Those who fight for vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them, as Bill Gates would have people do.Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.There is no "standing still." Either we move forward, or we fall behind.It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the bank.Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay tuned... your time is coming, too!Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine Epidemic by clicking HERE to sign up. Unsubscribe HERE and you will be permanently removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s website: Vaccine Epidemic.©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001 follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are on one of

my previous lists. Feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom if you do not wish to get periodic newsletters from me. Our mailing address is: Adventures In Autism11 High StreetBrunswick, ME 04011Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5898 (20110223) __________The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.http://www.eset.com__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5898 (20110223) __________The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

JUSTUS MEANS JUST US!

I just found out that Monsanto in enjoying the same benifits as the drug companies! Not only can the farmer be sued for damages, if he was to loose his farm the contract with Monsanto goes with the land he lost! Please watch this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0dK2mRt4w

If you have a problem getting this I will have it on my <1eyednewt> Youtube channel

From: Ingrid Blank <enb1@...>Subject: RE: Protest SCOTUS Ruling and Gates Attack on Vaccine Safety Community, Thursday in NYCno-forced-vaccination Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 7:45 AM

Apart from being despicable, this genocidelist is extremely dangerous!

(see below)

Ingrid

Does Gates funding of media taint objectivity?

Sandi Doughton and Kristi Heim

Seattle Times, 19 February 2010

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014280379_gatesmedia.html

*Better-known for its battles against global disease, the Gates Foundation has also become a force in journalism. The foundation's contributions to nonprofit and for-profit media have helped spur coverage of global health, development and education issues. But some people worry that its growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.

Did you catch ABC's recent special on an incubator to boost preemie survival in Africa and a new machine to diagnose tuberculosis in the developing world?

Perhaps you saw Ray Suarez's three-part series on poverty and AIDS in Mozambique on the PBS NewsHour. Or listened to Public Radio International's piece on the rationing of kidney dialysis in South Africa.

Beyond their subject matter, these reports have something else in common: They were all bankrolled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Better-known for its battles against global disease, the giant philanthropy has also become a force in journalism.

The foundation's grants to media organizations such as ABC and The Guardian, one of Britain's leading newspapers, raise obvious conflict-of-interest questions: How can reporting be unbiased when a major player holds the purse strings?

But direct funding of media organizations is only one way the world's most powerful foundation influences what the public reads, hears and watches.

To garner attention for the issues it cares about, the foundation has invested millions in training programs for journalists. It funds research on the most effective ways to craft media messages. Gates-backed think tanks turn out media fact sheets and newspaper opinion pieces. Magazines and scientific journals get Gates money to publish research and articles. Experts coached in Gates-funded programs write columns that appear in media outlets from The New York Times to The Huffington Post, while digital portals blur the line between journalism and spin.

The efforts are part of what the foundation calls "advocacy and policy." Over the past decade, Gates has devoted $1 billion to these programs, which now account for about a tenth of the giant philanthropy's $3 billion-a-year spending. The Gates Foundation spends more on policy and advocacy than most big foundations — including Rockefeller and MacArthur — spend in total.

Much of the money goes to analyses of policy questions, such as the best way to finance vaccines for poor countries. But the "advocacy" side of the equation is essentially public relations: an attempt to influence decision-makers and sway public opinion. The ultimate goal is to boost funding and focus from governments, businesses and other foundations for the battle against disease and poverty — particularly now, as Congress considers deep cuts in foreign aid.

"As big as the foundation is, there is no single area we work in where we can remotely succeed without other partners and actors," said Mark Suzman, head of policy and advocacy for the foundation's global-development programs.

While the aims may be laudable, the ability of one wealthy foundation to shape public discourse is troubling to some.

"Even if we were to satisfy ourselves that the Gates Foundation were utterly benign, it would still be worrisome that they wield such enormous propaganda power," said Mark Crispin , professor of media, culture and communications at New York University.

Some of the foundation's approaches are controversial, such as its embrace of genetically modified crops and emphasis on technological fixes for health problems. Critics fear foundation funding of media will muffle those debates. And with only three trustees setting the overall strategy - Bill and Melinda Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett - there's something "deeply anti-democratic" about such a concentration of influence, said.

"We're not dealing with a lively discussion among players. We're dealing with one gigantic entity ... that seems to be very skilled at promoting its agenda," he said.

Foundation officials say they're not out to control the way the media cover global disease and poverty, or even the foundation's own programs. They just want increased visibility for life-and-death issues that often get ignored, especially in the face of shrinking newsroom budgets.

"We're trying to do everything we can to make sure people understand not just the need, but the opportunity, to make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people around the world," said Joe Cerrell, who oversees the foundation's policy, advocacy and communications work in Europe. "For us, it's about making sure that these stories get told."

A growing media force

There's nothing new about powerful organizations attempting to massage media and get attention for their causes.

"It would be naive to believe big-money foundations don't play the same game that corporations and other special interests do," said Marc , assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. "I don't find that inherently troubling."

New York Times columnist Kristof recently argued that "good people engaging in good causes" need to sell the public on the need to take action when children are starving or being stunted by preventable disease.

No charity is better positioned to take on that challenge than Gates, with assets totaling more than $60 billion (including Buffett's donation) and Microsoft's media-savvy legacy to draw upon.

The foundation's direct funding for media and media programs, which so far totals nearly $50 million, initially followed the path taken by other foundations and corporations: Money for journalist training and for nonprofits such as NPR and PBS. But rather than providing general support, Gates usually stipulates reporting on the issues it cares about most: diseases such as HIV, malaria and TB; poverty in the developing world; and education in the United States.

The International Center for Journalists got nearly $6 million for a program that pairs veteran journalists with news organizations in Africa. One collaboration helped reverse a ban on midwives in Malawi by pointing out the hazards faced by pregnant women en route to clinics, said program supervisor Jerri Eddings. Dozens of developing-world journalists have been trained in reporting about AIDS through a Gates grant to the National Press Foundation.

At PBS' NewsHour, Suarez said a $3.6 million Gates grant has allowed him to cover stories that would otherwise have been out of reach, such as river blindness in Tanzania and Mexican programs to improve nutrition among the poor.

Other grants include $3.3 million to Public Radio International, $5 million to NPR and $1 million to Frontline. Grumbling among media observers peaked late last year when the foundation for the first time teamed up with major for-profit operations such as ABC and the Guardian.

The foundation provided ABC $1.5 million to fund overseas travel for reports on global health and development. ABC put up $4.5 million. Neither the foundation nor the Guardian will reveal the dollar amount of the deal that helped the British daily establish an online forum on global health and development.

The Seattle Times received a $15,000 Gates grant through Seattle University for a series of stories on homelessness in 2010.

Some uneasiness

Recipients of Gates' largesse all say the foundation does not dictate the specific stories they cover.

Foundation officials did provide the NewsHour a list of potential story subjects, but no mandates, Suarez said. "The beauty of this relationship is that they trust our editorial process," he said. "It's not like we're getting calls from Washington state saying: It's time to do HIV. It's time to do malaria."

But some journalists are uneasy with the arrangements. Seattle freelancer Fortner stopped writing about Gates for Crosscut after the local online news site received general support grants that total $500,000, contingent on matching funds. Guardian health Editor Boseley has said she often shies away from coverage of the foundation — positive or negative — for fear of being accused of a conflict.

, the journalism professor, finds it "laughable" when media claim Gates money doesn't influence their coverage. Every grant comes with at least one string attached, he said: the hope that the grant will be renewed. Recipients can be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.

Indeed, few of the news organizations that get Gates money have produced any critical coverage of foundation programs. The Guardian is an exception, with a recent blog post that blasted the foundation's associations with agricultural giant Monsanto, a leader in genetically modified crops.

"I don't know if the Gates Foundation's projects work," said. "And if the Gates Foundation is going to pay for all the news coverage around this, we're never going to know."

A blurry line

A larger question is whether Gates funding steers media coverage in directions that serve specific foundation goals, both humanitarian and political, diverting attention from other issues.

Some grants have indeed spelled out coverage topics, including male circumcision to reduce transmission of AIDS, and clinical trials — the latter of which are crucial for Gates-supported vaccines and drugs being tested in the developing world.

The foundation's latest media push, launched by Melinda Gates in 2010, is to shift coverage from stories of despair to stories that show problems can be solved.

"People need to hear and see these success stories," she said. "In the U.S. media, too often you hear what is not working."

There's nothing wrong with telling positive stories, said global- health expert Laurie Garrett, of the Council on Foreign Relations, which has received Gates funding. But it's important to recognize that it's also a political tactic, she pointed out. Everyone who works in international aid and development is terrified government spending will be slashed. Gates-sponsored research shows people are more likely to donate or support foreign aid after seeing hopeful news. Success stories also show that past investments haven't been wasted, the foundation's Suzman said.

To get those positive stories to the public, the foundation has launched a blitz that covers multiple bases, including the establishment of digital outlets that bypass conventional media. After commissioning a British think tank to identify development and health successes, the foundation showcased such stories in a series of videos and articles called "Living Proof."

At least one of the "Living Proof" stories touted by Melinda Gates has already found its way into the mainstream media. The use of skin-to-skin cradling called "kangaroo care" to boost newborn survival was featured recently in a New York Times column.

When ABC launched its Gates-funded global health initiative, "Be the Change: Save a Life," it mirrored that positive approach. Each segment of the inaugural program, hosted by Diane Sawyer, paired problems with possible solutions, like a low-cost incubator for premature babies.

A website encourages people to donate money. Within the first week, more than $600,000 poured in.

Foundation officials say they don't require ABC to report positive stories, though one of the grant's goals is to "inspire and motivate the millions of viewers to take action."

Another foundation grant, to California-based LinkTV, is explicit in its aim of spreading good news. The satellite network got $2 million to create a digital video library that spotlights progress in global development and health. Called ViewChange, its target audience includes bloggers and journalists, as well as nonprofits that can use the videos in their own advocacy campaigns, said general manager Hanamura.

Some news outlets present reports from Gates-funded health organizations as "news," but those reports aim to inspire people to donate money, rather than uncover facts, according to a recent analysis of global-health journalism.

And while many positive stories are valid, media observers point out that an emphasis on good news can mean less watch-dogging of programs that may not be working.

A wide reach

Beyond direct links to media, the foundation also supports a dizzying mix of organizations whose goals include influencing media coverage. An interested citizen might think she's getting news and information from a variety of sources, but many of them might be funded by Gates.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-care think tank, has received nearly $20 million from Gates to provide global health information and analyses. That includes media fact sheets and reporting guides, a free video library for journalists and an influential daily roundup of global health news.

Gates gives money to policy magazines such as Health Affairs and Global Health Magazine, and has funded scientific journals to publish articles on global health. Scientists trained in a Gates-funded program to "engage policy makers, thought leaders, the media and the public" brief lawmakers and write op-ed pieces that appear in newspapers and on news sites.

In the field of education, where Gates' emphasis on teacher quality and small schools has been hotly debated, a $500,000 grant to the Brookings Institution aims to "re-engineer media coverage of secondary and postsecondary education." Education Week magazine has received $4.5 million from the Gates Foundation.

These are just a smattering of the hundreds of policy and advocacy grants the foundation has issued. Gates isn't the sole funder for most of the groups, nor does Gates money mean grantees march to the same beat. But with virtually every major player in global health — and many in education — receiving Gates money, it's clear the foundation's voice is highly amplified in the media and beyond.

"It's an echo chamber," said.

Garrett, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, said she would prefer a more diverse set of voices. But without Gates funding and interest, long-neglected diseases and the suffering of the world's poor would receive far less attention than they do today, she pointed out.

"Back when I was covering global health, I was pretty much the only person on the beat," she said. "That's not the case anymore, and that's good news."

Seattle Times reporter Mayo contributed to this report.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@...

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2781 or kheim@...

[box]

Some of the Gates-funded news organizations and their projects

Link Media, Inc. | ViewChange

All Africa Foundation | AllAfrica.com

Steps International Foundation | Great stories can change our world

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation | Kaiser Foundation global health portal

Project Hope | Health Affairs Magazine

ABC | "Be the Change: Save a Life"

PBS NewsHour | Global Health Watch

The Guardian | Global development site

International Center for Journalists | Programs for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa

Public Radio International | Global health coverage

Angry? Get to NYC on Thursday and tell the world!Is this email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser.

Time to Push BackSince sending out my last email on the Supreme Court Ruling, I have been fielding emails and phone calls non stop. It is now midnight. It is clear that this community is horrified at what is being done to our children.So here is your chance to make your voice heard NOW. On Thursday in New York there will be a protest to tell the world just what we think about having our rights to civil process removed and how we feel about Bill Gates calling those who advocate for vaccine safety, "Child Killers".And Wednesday, pick up a phone, call your Congresman, Senator and the White House and let them know LOUDLY that we will not stand for having our constitutional rights for redress be taken from us, or have our children be used as experimental subjects in a run away vaccine program that is not accountable for killing and maiming children.

February 23, 2011Press Conference at Microsoft NYC Headquarters on Feb 24On Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 am, advocates, parents, and professionals will gather for a press conference at Microsoft's NYC headquarters at 1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street and Sixth Ave, southeast corner).Join us for a public display of anger. It is time for a protest that sends a strong and unequivocal message.We reject Bill Gates's misguided rhetoric of intolerance against those who question vaccine safety. We demand an apology from Bill Gates for his irresponsible comments on national TV. All human beings, including parents whose children were injured and died from their vaccines, are entitled to speak out about vaccine safety and affirm that vaccination choice

is a human right. No one, including our corporate leaders, should be permitted to publicly insult this right.

Vaccine Epidemic Authors Condemn Supreme Court Ruling in Bruesewitz v. WyethComing on the heels of a successful book launch event in New York City on Feb 18, which gathered over 300 people at the NYU School of Law, we were deeply disappointed yesterday morning to learn of the Supreme Court's ruling in Bruesewitz v Wyeth. The 6-2 decision forecloses civil lawsuits for vaccine design defects and further tilts the already unfair playing field of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which consistently decides against vaccine-injured famlies after years of venomous litigation.Justice Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined, arguing that the majority appears more concerned about shielding industry than about the

welfare of our children, and more concerned with a policy to prevent tort cases alleging vaccine-induced autism from reaching civil court than with the statute's plain language.Many safety and autism advocacy organizations have joined to express their condemnation, as reflected by the Coalition for Vaccine Safety's press release issued yesterday.

Microsoft Chairman Says Vaccine Safety Advocates Are "Killing Children"Earlier this month, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stated on a CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that so-called "anti-vaccine efforts" -- which are, in truth, efforts to raise science-based concerns about vaccine safety -- "kill children."Gates's expression of intolerance was directed at those who voice concern about the wisdom of current vaccination policy and defend their human right to vaccination choice. His statement went unchecked in the mainstream media. It is an undisputable fact that vaccines injure and cause death to some children.

Those who fight for vaccine safety seek to lessen these injuries and deaths, not ignore them, as Bill Gates would have people do.Please join the press conference to help break the silence of vaccine injury and to call attention to the human right to vaccination choice.

If You Can't Be in NYC on Thursday, Buy a Book or ThreeIf you can't join us in NYC tomorrow, buy a few copies of Vaccine Epidemic and commit to loaning them or giving them to people who will read them. You can always donate a couple to your local library.There is no "standing still." Either we move forward, or we fall behind.It is a formidable act of advocacy to put copies of Vaccine Epidemic in people's hands. Knowledge is powerful. To open your eyes is to find your voice. And at just $14 each, it won't break the bank.Please help us to spread the word. There are times when the very best way to be heard is to show up. See you in NYC on Thursday.

Louise Kuo Habakus Hollandp.s. For those who don't live in or near NYC, stay tuned... your time is coming, too!Continue to hear about news updates and events about Vaccine Epidemic by clicking HERE to sign up. Unsubscribe HERE and you will be permanently removed from our list. And keep up with the very latest on the book’s website: Vaccine Epidemic.©2011 Vaccine Epidemic | 244 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001 follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Adventures In Autism, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are on one of

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