The debate over whether vaccines cause autism has become one of the most controversial disputes in this country. In this episode of Truth In Media, the focus is not on whether vaccines are responsible for autism. The issue at hand here is a study that was performed at the CDC and the question of whether the agency was complicit in a cover-up over a decade ago.
Friends,
I want to begin by saying thank you for signing up for this email list and for your incredible support of my work with Reality Check and Full Disclosure over the past 2 years.
As promised, you are now the first to hear in detail about my- actually our- next step. Beginning next week on Monday, June 10, we will officially launch the “Liberty Is Rising Truth in Media Project” on Kickstarter. As I have told you, this is the most involved and meaningful project I have ever been involved in and it is not something I can do on my own.
The “Liberty is Rising Truth in Media Project” is a 3 step process:
Inform, Engage, Activate:
Step 1: INFORM
The first step of this project and the primary use of Kickstarter is to create high-end, high-quality Reality Check style segments that can be presented to the public via streaming content sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, or devices such as Roku andBenSwann.com. Our goal is to produce 100 high quality five to six minute shows and by launching this project independently, the restrictions on subject matter by corporate bosses will not be an issue.
Why do the videos need to be so high quality? Simple, we need to spread this message as far out as we can. Like it or not, we live in a very media-savvy culture and if the public at large is to take this kind of journalism seriously, they need to be able to hear and see it in a way that is deemed credible. You can watch network news programming all day and never hear anything of substance but it sure looks pretty. If we are to educate and inform the public on issues of war, the drug war, monetary policy, drone strikes, the NDAA, CAFR, crony capitalism, etc… it MUST be done in the style and format generations of Americans have been trained to accept as “professional”.
The films will be distributed via multiple platforms. First, we continue to share new content virally via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, BenSwann.com, and continue to allow alternative media blog sites to use our films without charge and embed them, as long as they are shown in their entirety. This is important because we want as many people exposed to our journalism as possible.
We will be rolling out a highly interactive, informative website that will include all Full Disclosure episodes, a forum, Ben Swann podcasts, and a mobile app.
Also, as I mentioned, we are going to attempt to spread these films into new arenas such as streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. Again, the goal is to engage the largest audience possible.
Step 2: ENGAGE
Each of us must impact our own circle of influence.
We are currently building out a multi-faceted platform of engagement where you and I will work together to take single issues and impact public opinion. This platform will contain resources like stats, infographics, archived articles, and other educational materials that will be available to download or share.
Students:
This platform will work directly with college student groups like Young Americans for Liberty, Young Republicans, Young Democrats and politically independent groups, giving students hard facts and data to share with peers and teaching them how to hold information sessions on campus.
Journalists:
We will work with journalists across the country challenging them to engage in critical thinking and questioning of local, state and national leaders on issues of importance. We’ll equip them on how to challenge the status quo in their newsrooms and move beyond reading press releases.
Faith Based Communities:
We will engage faith-based communities (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, etc) and challenge the acceptance of government control over their religious activities.
Local Lawmakers:
We will engage local and state lawmakers and challenge the over-reach, over taxation, and policing for profit that is taking place in every city and town in America.
Tea Party:
We will engage those in the Tea Party movement who entered the movement for the right reasons, to protest over taxation and government control.
Occupy:
We will engage those in the Occupy movement who rightly protested the consolidation of wealth among a small group of people and who have created a crony capitalist system (that isn’t capitalism at all).
Building Consensus:
The goal is to help Americans escape the Left/Right paradigm of arguing with each other while politicians and big money run the nation and our lives. We desire to create unity among all these groups in the areas where we can agree. That happens when we are defined not by who we stand against, but what we stand for. It is not about Left vs. Right or Republican vs. Democrat… but Liberty vs. Tyranny.
You and I will go through this process together. Beyond just sharing the content, you will be instrumental to the gathering of information and the actual creation of that content. With your engagement we will be able to create public awareness and social willingness to drive change.
Step 3: ACTIVATE
The best part of this step is that the work you and I will have already done is key. Having forced important issues into the forefront of public awareness we will have already changed minds and that will allow action to be taken.
Through strategic partnerships with established political and student groups as well as individual experts in the fields or medicine, education, economics, security, drug policy etc. we will begin to crowd-source “change strategies”.
The end result of these strategies will include legal and legislative process for changing U.S. policy overseas and here at home. We will challenge lawmakers who continue to engage in hypocritical behavior and are unwilling to stand up for rule of law. As a long-term goal, we will eventually work with lawmakers to draft legislation to correct the nation’s trajectory. Dr. Ron Paul borrowed the words of Victor Hugo when he declared in 2008, “An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government.”
Ron Paul Said It Best:
I recently had the chance to interview Dr. Paul and we talked in depth about the changing media landscape. How has media changed for a man who has spent his entire life attempting to change the system?
“When I first started in politics in the 70’s, we basically had three major networks and they were very, very close together on philosophy…..But now the options are great…..Now the information is going out differently. It’s going out on handheld devices and computers and telephones and they can turn you on and off when they want. They have so many more choices.”
Dr. Paul then added:
I’m optimistic that things are going to do well and I’m optimistic because you’re (Ben Swann) involved in this fight with us.”
Again, I want to thank you for your support so far. As you can see this next step is a very ambitious project. There is risk here but I believe that every great movement in history has been accompanied by great challenge and risk.
Between now and June 10th, I need your help.
1. Please go sign up for this Facebook event for the project:
https://www.facebook.com/events/182282331926426/
2. Please forward this email on to friends and family who you believe might want to be a part of this project.
3. Please share the new cover photo featured on my Facebook pages that can be foundhere.
There has never been a moment like this before in world history where a society has had this kind of collision of technology and information. This is our moment. I hope that next Monday, you will commit to helping me to shake the media landscape in America! I leave you with these words from a great patriot Samuel Adams who once proclaimed,
“It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” – Samuel Adams
#LibertyisRising
(FOX19) -Anchor Ben Swann will leave WXIX-TV “to explore other opportunities” when his contract expires at the end of May. He says he’s close to announcing his new gig.
“After 2 ½ years at WXIX Fox 19, the time has come for me to explore other opportunities,” he said in the station announcement.
“I am incredibly thankful for the time I had at Fox19 and will always be grateful for the friends I have made here and for fond memories I will cherish forever. During my time at FOX 19 I had the privilege of being able to interview one-on-one President Barack Obama, Governor Mitt Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan during the 2012 election, opportunities only made possible through working for the best news department in southern Ohio.
“I want to express my gratitude to management and staff, reporters and anchors who have pursued to live out our mantra of “Balanced News” and gave me the freedom and support needed to build the Reality Check franchise. I wish everyone at WXIX the very best moving forward.
“As for my plans moving forward, I am currently in talks for some very exciting projects. Over the next few weeks I look forward to sharing those details.”
Swann has developed a large following online for his Ben Swann – Full Disclosure Facebook videos (here), which are similar to his Fox 19 Reality Check reports. His national fan base has pushed him into the lead for both rounds of my TV Anchor Dream Team tourney here. Voting ends at midnight tonight. (So leading my March TV Madness poll wasn’t enough to keep him in town??)
The Texas native came to Channel 19 from El Paso in 2010 to replace Dan Carroll as Tricia Macke’s co-anchor. Swann was only the third main co-anchor since Fox 19 started news in 1993 with Jack Atherton. The station will begin searching for a new main co-anchor for the 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. newscasts immediately, said Bill Lanesey, Fox 19 general manager.
“Ben has informed us he would like to take his career in a different direction,” said FOX19 General Manager Bill Lanesey. “We will miss Ben’s work ethic and intellect and appreciate him giving us enough notice so we can begin the search for his replacement as soon as possible.”
cavnews.wordpress.com 