Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 Source: The news clipping service of MAP/DrugSense Website: http://www.mapinc.org/ ONDCP/PDFA ACCUSED OF PROPAGANDA AND INFLUENCE PEDDLING reads the headline of the latest FOCUS ALERT from DrugSense, posted at: http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0145.html The alert encourages readers to respond with Letters to the Editor to the widespread news stories about the payola plan designed by our Drug Czar - stories that resulted from the investigative reporting of Daniel Forbes web published in Salon, an internet magazine. See: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n043/a09.html I wrote the this note to post with the article: We at MAP are pleased to make an exception to our policy of not posting web only published items for this article by Dan Forbes. Dan wrote an article for Brandweek magazine in 1998 which first exposed the lack of research into the value of the ONDCP/PDFA ad campaigns. The article is a key link from our Partnership for Drug-policy Facts and Alternatives website at http://www.pdfa.net - the Brandweek article is at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n000/a03.html And in Part 2 of the Salon article Dan wrote: "After Kolbe learned of the deal from this reporter, he summoned McCaffrey for explanation, and the snow job continued. McCaffrey appeared before Kolbe's appropriations subcommittee in October 1999. There McCaffrey made his most direct, if brief, statement yet: "We allow public affairs and programming to count as part of a network's public service contributions," he said. But even this was buried in a complex discussion of formulas, and he did not make it clear that the practice frees up millions of dollars in advertising time for the networks." Now we see McCaffrey and even the President working the spin control, trying to convince us that both congress and the public should have been aware of their payola plan. Dozens of stories have been sent by newshawks to and many have been posted (but a few are still in the queues of the editors). The latest posted may always be seen at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ We are starting to see editorials and columns on the story, prime targets for Letters to the Editor. Readers can easily find their state or province newspapers and other publications using the MAP media source database at: http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm to find not only links to websites but also the best contact information for your letters. Plus MAP's Writer's Resources can help you design your letter in a way that increases the chance of publication. http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm Thank you, newshawks, for sending all the items on this story, which appears to be gaining the most press we have seen since the IOM report came out last Spring. Please keep sending the items to - note that we are most interested in the editorials and columns which are starting to appear. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake