November/December 1997 Issue

How to Tell-a-Phone-y

Tips on how to tell when a caller who claims to represent a grassroots movement is really throwing you a corporate-contrived astroturf pitch:

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You ask: “Who do you work for?”
The caller says: A group beginning with “Citizens for…,” “Consumers Against…,” or “Americans who…”

You ask: “Where are you located?”
The caller says: “I can’t reveal that information.”

You say: “I’m in the middle of dinner. Can I call you back?”
The caller says: “Sure” and gives you a toll-free number.

You call the toll-free number.
An operater says: “Legislative hotline!” and offers to route you to the appropriate staffer.

You ask for more information.
They send papers labeled “grassroots effort.”

You ask: “How does this issue affect me?”
The caller says: “This will hurt all consumers in your state!”

You ask: “When I call my senator, what do I say?”
The caller says: “Say that this will hurt all consumers in your state!”

You ask: “What else can I do?”
The caller says: “Write your senator a letter saying that this will hurt all consumers in your state!”

Not every grassroots call is necessarily fake. Just demand details. And remember: The Princeton Dental Resource Center was once sponsored by M&M/Mars to convince the public that candy is good for your teeth. For more information on identifying phony campaigns, consult Mask of Deception: Corporate Front Groups in America, which is available for $15 through Essential Information (a Ralph Nader front group); call (202) 387-8030 or go to www.essential.org

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

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