<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Rosemary Bechler</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rosemary@rbechler.com">rosemary@rbechler.com</a>></span><br>Date: Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 5:32 AM<br>Subject: Big scoop - now we need your help!<br>To: Rosemary Bechler <<a href="mailto:rosemary.bechler@opendemocracy.net">rosemary.bechler@opendemocracy.net</a>><br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Dear friends,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;line-height:17.9400005340576px;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm writing with exciting news about openDemocracy. A few days ago </span><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:normal;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">Peter Oborne, chief political commentator at </span><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:normal;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">Britain's Daily Telegraph, published an <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/peter-oborne/why-i-have-resigned-from-telegraph" target="_blank">explosive resignation letter on oD</a>, alleging the paper had suppressed negative stories about major advertisers like HSBC. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:1.38;background-color:transparent">The story has brought more readers to our site than ever before, and is continuing to reverberate across the world, with fresh allegations surfacing every day - raising questions that go right to the heart of democracy.</span></p></span><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica"><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">I'm writing to you because over the years you've been kind enough to give openDemocracy something we value greatly: your writing, your ideas. We are incredibly grateful for this. I'm now asking you for your help - at this galvanising moment - to help us keep publishing stories that others won't.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">We've launched this fundraiser off the back of the Oborne/HSBC story: </span><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/keep-journalism-free" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">https://www.justgiving.com/keep-journalism-free</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> - and we’d be so grateful for whatever help you can give in supporting it and spreading the word via email and social media. (And apologies for bothering you again if you already have!)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Every person who donates or simply shares the link with others really does make a difference, and we’re hugely thankful to the many of you who have already done this. We simply wouldn’t be here without you.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">With thanks in advance and best wishes, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Rosemary</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Ps. Here’s the email we’ve sent out to contributors, supporters and friends of oD, please feel free to forward to anyone who might be interested. Thanks again:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><br></span></p><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>The news they tried to hide</b><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">Mary Fitzgerald, openDemocracy <<a href="mailto:info@opendemocracy.net" target="_blank">info@opendemocracy.net</a>><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">Mary Fitzgerald, openDemocracy <<a href="mailto:info@opendemocracy.net" target="_blank">info@opendemocracy.net</a>><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><<a href="mailto:anthony.barnett@opendemocracy.net" target="_blank">anthony.barnett@opendemocracy.net</a>><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">19 February 2015 18:04:26 GMT<br></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;line-height:normal;white-space:normal"></span></p><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><center style="font-size:14px;background-color:rgb(242,242,242)"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin:0px;padding:0px;height:1618px;width:659px"><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="top" style="padding:20px;border-top-width:0px;height:1578px;width:619px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse;border:0px"><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse;border-top-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="padding-top:9px"><table 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cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse;border-top-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="padding:9px"><table align="left" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="padding:0px 9px"><img align="left" alt="" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac/images/d1b52f00-a0a3-4497-8fdd-baecc94ad2b1.jpg" width="564" style="outline-style:none;border:0px;vertical-align:bottom;max-width:942px;padding-bottom:0px;display:inline!important"><div dir="ltr"><div title="Download"><div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div title="Download" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.592157)"><div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div title="Download"><div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div title="Download"><div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div title="Download"><div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse;border-top-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font-family:Helvetica;color:rgb(96,96,96);font-size:15px;line-height:22.5px;padding:9px 18px"><br><span style="font-family:georgia,times,'times new roman',serif">Dear friend,<br><br>This week openDemocracy broke a story which <strong>casts a shadow over democracy</strong>. Peter Oborne’s allegation that Britain’s Daily Telegraph has <strong>suppressed embarrassing stories about <span>big</span> corporations like HSBC</strong> rather than risk advertising revenues cannot be ignored. If journalism doesn’t hold power to account,democracy doesn't work.<br><br>Today, we're launching a funding appeal so <strong>we can keep bringing you the stories that others won't.</strong> <strong><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=cf70cd26bf&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word;font-weight:normal" target="_blank">Join us here</a></strong>.<br><br>Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by the Telegraph/HSBC scandal. As we have stopped paying for news, papers have become increasingly dependent on advertisers. That leaves us with a stark reality. Either <strong>we find a way to fund journalism into the future, or democracy itself is in peril.</strong><br><br>On openDemocracy, we don’t shy away from fearless reporting. We’ve taken on <strong>G4S, governments and vast banks</strong>. Because we’re a not-for-profit, there are no corporate owners or shareholders expecting dividends. But it also means <strong><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=f6adc15ea0&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word;font-weight:normal" target="_blank">we need your support to continue</a></strong>.<br><br>It’s normal, when fundraising, to promise specific outcomes. To break it down into neat packages of “£2 pays for a coffee, £100 pays for an article”. But in all honesty, <strong>you know it’s not that simple.</strong><br><br>The truth is that <strong>the best journalism comes when reporters follow whatever scent they find</strong> to wherever it takes them. That is what we are asking you to help pay for.<br><br>We can't allow truth to be caged by a dependence on advertisers. <strong><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=e125f99131&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word;font-weight:normal" target="_blank">Contribute today</a><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=8114c20b0f&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word;font-weight:normal" target="_blank">, and help set journalism free.</a></strong><br><br>Thank you, in advance,<br>Mary, Adam, Jess, Ollie and the whole openDemocracy team<br><br>PS: In his <a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=a612e9c0d1&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">resignation statement</a> on openDemocracy, Peter Oborne wrote:<br><br><em>“A free press is essential to a healthy democracy. There is a purpose to journalism, and it is not just to entertain. It is not to pander to political power, <span>big</span> corporations and rich men. Newspapers have what amounts in the end to a constitutional duty to tell their readers the truth.<br><br>“It is not only the Telegraph that is at fault here. The past few years have seen the rise of shadowy executives who determine what truths can and what truths can’t be conveyed across the mainstream media.”</em><br><br>This worrying trend is why openDemocracy exists. Our model depends on a simple belief: that you are willing to pay for what we do. Please keep this hope alive and <a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=eacbc52f83&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(109,198,221);word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">contribute here</a>.</span><br> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse;border-top-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="padding-bottom:9px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font-family:Helvetica;color:rgb(96,96,96);font-size:11px;line-height:13.75px;padding:9px 18px"><em>Copyright © 2015 Open Democracy, All rights reserved.</em><br><br><strong>Our mailing address is:</strong><br><div>Open Democracy<div><div>The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street</div>London, England E8 3DL<div>United Kingdom</div></div><br><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/vcard?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=fc07c0bf6b" style="color:rgb(96,96,96);word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Add us to your address book</a></div><br><br><a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=fc07c0bf6b&e=9c912361c8&c=9fc49ff0f1" style="color:rgb(96,96,96);word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">unsubscribe from this list</a> <a href="http://opendemocracy.us1.list-manage1.com/profile?u=9c663f765f28cdb71116aa9ac&id=fc07c0bf6b&e=9c912361c8" style="color:rgb(96,96,96);word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">update subscription preferences</a> <br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></center></div></span><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><div dir="ltr"><br></div></div><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:12.8000001907349px">Rosemary Bechler, openDemocracy Editor,</span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:12.8000001907349px"><a href="mailto:Rosemary@rbechler.com" target="_blank">Rosemary@rbechler.com</a></span></div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:12.8000001907349px"><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:12.8000001907349px"><br></span></div></span><p style="margin:0px;font-family:Arial"><font size="1">If you read nothing else by me, please do read <a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/rosemary-bechler/unbounded-freedom" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(71,135,255)"><i>Unbounded Freedom</i></span></a></font></p></div></div></div>
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</div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: <a href="http://commonstransition.org" target="_blank">http://commonstransition.org</a> </div><div><br></div>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a> - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br><br><a href="http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation" target="_blank"></a>Updates: <a href="http://twitter.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens</a><br><br>#82 on the (En)Rich list: <a href="http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/" target="_blank">http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/</a> <br></div></div></div></div>
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