Narco News Needs Our Help Today

Please go on to read the letter below.  We need to raise $5000 for Narco News in just over two weeks or Narco News will face having to cut back coverage.  Thank you. Dear Friends, Readers and Co-publishers of Narco News,

I'm writing because Narco News needs your help today.  As most of you already know, Narco News runs on a shoestring budget.  That Narco News accomplishes so much with such limited resources is a testament to the dedication to truth and authentic journalism which inspires its writers.  But now we've hit the point where there just isn't any money left.  Not even the string to tie a single shoe - much less a budget.

I'll be blunt.  We need to raise $5000 in just over two weeks.  Fail and Narco News will have no choice but to cut out important coverage.  Succeed and we'll be well on our way to raising the bare minimum amount we'll need to keep Narco News running at the present level for the rest of the year.  That's $50,000 total for 10 months.  $60,000 for this whole year.

Think about that number.  And think about all the coverage Narco News has brought you just over the last couple of months.  From Laura del Castillo Matamoros' insightful coverage of Colombia, to Bill Conroy's exclusive exposures of official misconduct along the border, to continued coverage of breaking events in Bolivia and Venezuela.  Recently Narco News called global attention to the attack on Mexican democracy in the form of a "desafuero" that seeks to eliminate the leading candidate from the presidential race.  Only then did the international media begin to cover the story.

Who covers the drug war like Narco News?  Who else makes people aware of stories like the Mexico City District Attorney proposing a harm reduction program to administer drugs safely to addicts in the prison system; the recent narco-scandal in Argentina's military and the ramifications; the ongoing struggle of the coca growers; and updates on the growing list of reform and legalization advocates in Latin America whose positions become known to the world only because Narco News translates and reports their words.  Who but Narco News?

Some news sources touch a bit on some of those issues.  Some trample all over them with the distortions and lies of media simulation.  Nobody covers them like Narco News.  Think about how important it is to you for that to continue; how important it is for all of us.

Also think about how much Narco News accomplishes on so little money.  At countless media orgs and nonprofit groups, the annual budget for Narco News wouldn't even pay the salary of just one of their important people.  One of my friends tried teasing me a few days ago by forwarding figures on the average salaries in nonprofit corporations.  They were higher than what I'm asking from you to fund all the work all the journalists at Narco News put together this year.  It made me proud because of this fact:  No one from The Fund for Authentic Journalism has ever been paid one penny for their work, including myself.  To minimize costs and assure there is virtually no overhead on the fundraising end, we rent no office space.  Not even our own phone line.  We keep the overhead to an absolute minimum because we know how important the work is that we fund.  And we know how important it is to make sure all of your contributions go entirely to the cause.

Think about these things and, please act today.  We need to raise $5000 in just over two weeks.

We still have some watches and DVDs to offer as gifts to contributers.  And while supplies last we can offer anyone who contributes $10 or more a hard copy of the important book "Guantanamo: What The World Should Know".

Please, we can do this.  We can keep Narco News going at the same impressive level we've seen the last couple of months.  But only if our readers help now.  Please go to The Fund for Authentic Journalism's website right now to give via PayPal.
http://www.authenticjournalism.org

Or send checks or money orders made out to "The Fund for Authentic Journalism" to our P.O. box.
The Fund for Authentic Journalism
P.O. Box 71051
Madison Heights, MI 48071

It's been months of reporting story after story since the last time we asked you for help.  Now it's time for we, the readers to do our part again.

With Respect and Admiration,

Andrew Grice, Treasurer
The Fund for Authentic Journalism
P.O. Box 71051
Madison Heights, MI  48071
http://www.authenticjournalism.org