Special Report Release Schedule

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“Tobacco Strikes Back” is a series of special reports by Mother Jones exposing the strategies tobacco companies use–in the boardroom, in Congress, in your hometown–to keep their industry going. In the coming days, we’ll be placing more articles online, along with interactive timelines, maps, and resources to guide you through the maze of information.


Friday evening, April 19:

“The Campaign For the Presidency”

What do Bob Dole’s telemarketer, his chief California strategist, and one of his national co-chairs have in common? Big tobacco.

“The Tobacco Wars”

A timeline of the history of tobacco and its relationship to American politics, based on Richard Kluger’s new book Ashes to Ashes.


Tuesday, April 23:

“Tobacco Enemy Number One”

Gingrich calls FDA Commissioner David Kessler “a bully and a thug.” Dole has pledged to fire him. When you look behind the attacks on the FDA, says one top FDA official, “you will see the tobacco industry.”

“Joe Camel’s Tracks”

The FDA can prove tobacco companies put cigarettes where kids are likely to be.

“Secondhand Mail”

Big Tobacco’s pre-fab letter campaign against OSHA got results–some unexpected.

“Our Good Friend, the Governor”

GOP governors secretly help Big Tobacco–featuring Philip Morris’ internal correspondence about California governor Pete Wilson.


Thursday, April 25:

“The War in the States”

While criticizing “big government,” the tobacco industry is pushing laws to prohibit local control of its products.

“The Nicotine Network”

How the tobacco industry is forging hidden alliances with congressional leaders.


Tuesday, April 30:

“Fakin’ It”

Big Tobacco’s efforts to build phony grassroots groups.

“Sin of Omission”

Why the Christian Coalition can’t “just say no” to teen smoking.

And: how cigarettes affect your body, with information on smoking and the unborn.

If you have any questions regarding these articles, write smokes@motherjones.com. Letters to the editor may be sent to backtalk@motherjones.com.

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We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with the Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

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