Posts Tagged ‘United Press International’

A Call for A United Free Press

11/10/2024

By Randall Richards

United Free Press founder Kerry Murray, originally from New Zealand, residing in the UK, says, “If you can help find the funding, let’s get a team, collaborate, and run with it! Murray, a successful businessman and professional photographer has a vision to help solve the mainstream press problem which he sees as having a lack of ethics, too much censorship and a parroting of agendas.

His vision has been to create an ethical worldwide press association. In fact, he’s already done it – United Free Press which had a stunning web presence and a roster of serious freedom journalists who were bound by a code of ethics. Murray’s execution of his vision has been brilliant.  But like many in the freedom movement, his efforts were all volunteer based. With a family to feed, and work commitments, and UFP being a solo effort, Murray has not been able to maintain the effort and expenses to keep the website, membership cards and membership lists running.

I used to work for United Press International in my twenties, and I see UFP as a great uniting alternative to the bought-off press of days gone by. In fact, if you put on your ”long-range vision glasses”, you can see, like I do, a possibility of UFP having a huge impact on not only our freedom press, but the world, for generations to come. I believe in Kerry’s vision and how he’s created UFP thus far. (Also at the time of this writing, the UFP website’s archive (hosted by what’s commonly called The Wayback Machine) is temporarily offline as well due to maintenance down, but I’m including Currently the website is offline and there’s work to do. I’m writing this to create interest with the freedom press, and a reach-out to potential funders to get that website up and running again including all aspects of UFP, and more. There has already been some positive response here in New Zealand, and from our own NZ Media Collective members. If you’d like more info on UFP or how to donate, get in touch: randall@mtnsprit.org

We Were There: Obama in Unity, NH

08/11/2008

D.R. Richards

Image: D.R. Richards

I happened to be coming back from the Northfield Conference last spring, and heard from a friend, that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were in Unity, New Hampshire, of all places, giving a speech of Unity. The timing was right, so I swung in, on my way back to Sunapee. There were shuttle buses all over the place. Acquaintances and fellow townspeople that recognized, were streaming in along with from the surrounding towns of New London, Sunapee and Newport to see these two. Joining were them were a few thousand from points afar, and joining them were photographers and press people of all sorts.  I hadn’t heard about the shuttle buses, or any arrangements about leaving cars at some remote lot, and drove my van along the road to Unity and parked about a half mile from  the “downtown Unity village district”.   

During my travels with Mountain Spirit Institute, Outward Bound, or Alpine Ascents International, I have always encountered foreigners who have enjoyed getting to know us North Americans, but have had concerns about our serious lack of judgement when it comes to controlling or choosing our leaders.   I am once again proud of our populace for finally making a progressive decision. I haven’t felt this way since I was a child.  I have no delusions that Obama is the fix-all president, however this goes a long way in our country, to rising to the occasion, as a more compassionate people and nation. Thank God, it’s about time.
I used to work for Suki Coughlin in New London, NH.  She was a stringer for U.P.I. Wire Services, and taught me a lot about press work. I used to cover quite a few presidential campaigns in my former life. So, When I had my camera with me this day,  decided to get near the podium and take a few shots of this moment. Who would have thought? It’s not only true that we’ve passed a crossroads in having our first black president, but we’ve certainly crossed a wonderful threshold where it’s becoming self-evident there is a new paradigm in the U.S., one of a new level of compassion, humility and equality.