Update: 'Terror' DVD Getting Delivered to Millions This Weekend -- via Newspapers

I first heard about this a few days ago via the Huffington Post, and now the DVD has been fully unleashed. The controversial DVD was home-delivered today with McClatchy papers in North Carolina, in Charlotte and Raleigh, and the Miami Herald, bringing the nationwide total to about 70 papers, with more coming tomorrow. An estimated 28 million copies have been sent out already, some by direct mail and in other periodicals.

It seems to be only distributed in "swing" election states, and was made in 2005 by the New York-based Clarion Fund.

The documentary, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, showcases scenes of Muslim children being encouraged to become suicide bombers, interspersed with shots of Nazi rallies. 'The threat of Radical Islam is the most important issue facing us today,'' reads the sleeve of the DVD. ''But it's a topic that neither the presidential candidates nor the media are discussing openly. It's our responsibility to ensure we can all make an informed vote in November.''

It was shown on Fox News just before the 2006 mid-term elections, and conservative activist David Horowitz screened the film on campuses last year. An article at the group's site, www.radicalislam.org, all but endorsed McCain as the preferred candidate this past week, then was pulled down.

The New York Times tells my Editor & Publisher colleague Joe Strupp that it distributed 145,000 copies last Sunday with papers in several leading markets -- all in swing states. This included Denver, Philadelphia, and several areas in Florida, Ohio and elsewhere. A spokeswoman said it did not violate its advertising/delivery standards.

An article at the site of the Morning-Call in Allentown, Pa. today reveals that it will be inserted in the Sunday paper there tomorrow. It continues: "A call to Clarion wasn't returned, but the nonprofit's spokesman, Gregory Ross, told the Harrisburg Patriot-News this week that 28 million copies of the DVD are being distributed nationwide throughout September. He said the intent is not to sway voters' opinions about the presidential candidates."

Th New York Times spokeswoman told us: "We believe the broad principles of freedom of the press confer on us an obligation to keep our advertising columns as open as possible. Therefore our acceptance or rejection of an advertisement does not depend on whether it coincides with our editorial positions. In fact, there are many instances when we have published opinion advertisements that run counter to the stance we take on our own editorial pages."

The publisher of the News & Observer in Raleigh, NC, like the Times, defended distributing the DVD on free speech grounds.

Erik Ose has now updated the number of papers getting the DVD here at Huff Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-ose/pro-mccain-group-dumping_b_125969.html

So watch a clip from the DVD: http://www.eandppub.com/2008/09/controversial-d.html
*
Greg Mitchell's new book on Iraq and the media is titled "So Wrong for So Long." He is editor of Editor & Publisher.

Comments

[cpolevoy]

Clarion Fund is in direct violation of federal law. It endorses John McCain. 501(c)3 organizations are prohibited from endorsing candidates for office, period.

Newspapers rarely, if ever, perform due diligence when it accepts advertising and inserts. Newspapers in battleground states have been flooded with Clarion's Obsession DVDs, and Clarion claims that it will be releasing another one in October. Is the timing coincidence? I think not.

Clarion is linked to another website, radicalislam.org. Their logo says "Fighting Radical Islam.org," with the two-Ls in "Radical" substituted by an image of the World Trade Center. There is also a brief video that makes it clear which presidential candidate they support. Through additional "googling," it is clear that they were even more obvious and vocal about their endorsement of McCain before someone/something caused them to alter their website just a bit.

It is fear mongering at its worst!

I condemn any newspaper for permitting itself to be used for distribution of this propaganda of fear. Newspapers have two obligations: 1) apologize to their readers, 2) investigate Clarion Fund and see that they are appropriately reported to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to have their status as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit revoked.

Do we want yet another election in the United States to be manipulated by "swift boaters" and blatant liars? When is my media going to stand up and, in the words of the Democratic Party candidate, Barack Obama, stand up and say, Enough!"

CPolevoy

[OB08]

The MSM should reject this video. Fear mongering as usual. The American people are a lot smarter this time around.

[LoyalOpposition]

The Clarion Fund is not a person; the "persons" who are members of this "Fund," by contributing to the "Fund," or running the "Fund," need to be exposed. As I wrote in another blog, their faces must be exposed. Someone must pull the sheets away from their faces. Who are the members of The Clarion Fund???? No self-respecting newspaper or other form of media should give us just the name of the organizatiion that they hide behind. Organizations are today's white sheets.

[SwingVoter]

The American public is not smarter this time. If they were, McCain would only be polling 18% to Obama's 60% with 22% undecided ( and 82% of the undecided leaning Obama).

[SwingVoter]

I received a copy in the mail today...may watch it.

[TrnsNtnl]

war propaganda

[piquet]

Now that we have the "stupid" states identified. How does it feel to be living in one?
One word...frustrating

[deliriousgod]

Mrs. Palin, you make strange cookies

[MNLadybug]

I got my copy with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today! I guess this is an updated version of the old Red Alert, Orange Alert, etc that we saw during the last presidential election. Can I mail mine back?

[oscartucker]

When will a unified voice say, "ENOUGH!" ???? Something like this could cause innocent people to get hurt.

[deliriousgod]

If you think that's scary, how about ten thousand russian tanks rolling through Alaska to support Alaskan independence movement's secession from the union and to grab back some disputed territory that they feel wasn't included in the 1867 transfer of alaska to US? and take the oil you have so scrupulously left untouched for them. Sarah Palin supports the rights of breakaway states and their appeals for support abroad.

[pinkerman2]

If by some chance I should receive one of the DVD's; The Editor would be wearing it in a place that he or she would really not like.It's time to get tough and stay truthful, but Aggressive about charlatans and low-down Yukon Yuckin liars.

[Aylah95]

I live in the Pittsburgh, PA market. I get the paper for the coupons. In peeking to make sure it was worth buying today I saw the DVD and put the paper right back on the shelf. Pittsburgh Post Gazette just lost a customer.

[WorkingClass]

Congratulations Aylah95. You did the right thing. Lets not buy newspapers. They can send their propaganda to the Republicans.

[geobushono]

So?? Obama got $66MM last month................are we going to continue to react rather than go after these worthy opponents?...............There seems to be a lot of comments by those who are choosing to not believe the polls.............Hillary's boy, mark penn is doing his thing, ...........the Dems are circling the drain and ONCE AGAIN, and finding it hard to believe those aren't really showers.

[therealtruthteller]

Newspapers would do anything to keep the F OX News crowd happy.

[KevinMast]

This is disgusting. The only terrorist attacks I am afraid of are McBush, Palin & Company and their tactics of fear as they try to achieve their goal of white supremacy. Republicans are the ones to be afraid of. Of course a Bin Laden message will probably surface suddenly in October to scare people too. What amazes me about these "patriiots" when they talk about 9/11 is that most of them have probably never been to New York & hated NYC & all it stands for (culture, history, diversity, tolerance, creativity, self-improvement) prior to the attack on the WTC. I think voters should have to pass an IQ test to vote. Most of the GOP would be ineligible to vote then.

[foxinthebox]

Michael Moore are you listening?? They'll distribute anything for the almighty dollar. Got something you'd like to sell?

[Nonpartay]

Parade Magazine, speaking of newspapers, had an interesting article about what makes a great president. If you'd like to participate in a poll between the candidates, check out http://www.parade.com/hot-topics/2008/09/secrets-of-great-presidents
So far, Obama and Bidean are creaming the opposition. :)

[Liberoservative]

Thank you, that was a good read..
I love Dolores Kearns Goodwin