Clipper on CNN HN

Eric Hughes hughes at soda.berkeley.edu
Thu Jun 3 18:25:05 PDT 1993


>The current CNN Headline News has a spot on the Clipper chip airing after
>the Sports section, 

It is likely that this is a new clip rather than the old one.  There
is a large class of stories for which the print media drive the
televisual.  See _Bad Day at Black Rock_ for a first hand account of
this.  The CBS News staff read the New York Times every morning to
figure out what to cover.  In all likelihood they've just picked up
the story from Newsweek, slant and all.

It is because of mechanisms such as these that it is vital that people
get out there and start talking to local press, of whatever kind.  The
media predate on each other's research.  Getting the story out
_anywhere_ is useful, because it will frequently trigger more
coverage, and we desire the escalation of coverage.

We must make ourselves heard widely because if we can bring the
wiretap chip to public debate, we will have won.  The languor of
apathy creates a veil of secrecy for the public equally as effective
as lies and denials.  If we can get enough press coverage about this,
it will become an "issue".  One of the best things we could hope for
is that "Nightline" will have Ray Kammer v. Whit Diffie.  Public
opinion will not sit well with making it illegal to keep secrets.

Phone calls to CNN, asking for explanations of that short story will
help, hint, hint.

Eric






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