TRUCE feels fortunate that at least some of our viewpoints garner a degree of coverage across a wide range of Wasatch Front media, and increasingly in other local media around the state. And that our readership here and on Twitter has also continued to grow.
So, if the medicinal cannabis story is being covered in papers, on broadcast and/or streaming television, on web sites, on terrestrial or internet radio, in blogs, etc., TRUCE has more than likely been featured in the coverage.
One paper we’ve not had a ton of coverage in, though, is City Weekly, so we’re especially happy to share this piece, in which they interviewed TRUCERs and others, about…
“…who’s behind this latest grassroots lawmaking?
“At City Weekly, we asked some of the initiative’s sponsors and other advocates what keeps them motivated and how they don’t get discouraged after repeated failures on the Hill.”
And we think you’ll find their stories interesting and moving….
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Meanwhile, on the topic of media coverage in general, many times we’re brought in as “balance,” or when we are covered, the media goes and gets input from a legislative opponent or law enforcement official or the UMA to balance US.
But we don’t think “A says”/”B says” stories are a zero sum game, because everything we keep learning about medical cannabis and medical cannabis programs tells us we’re right on the facts – and we think that comes through in the stories.
As our Executive Director, Christine Stenquist is quoted in the story as saying, “…five years ago, nobody was talking about medicinal cannabis in this state.”
So just quote us accurately and give us something resembling equal coverage and we’re great, thank you very much.
We also think it’s of note that while medicinal cannabis (and cannabis in general) gets a lot of bitter criticism (nearly always at least mostly unjustified), we’ve seldom seen opponents publicly criticize TRUCE, our members or the factual materials we share, and feel this speaks to our credibility in always having backing for any claims we make and speaks well about how we go about our advocacy with a respect for responsible action.
There may be a time for stridency and contention on some issues, and we DO get criticized by other activists for not having harder edges sometimes, but in terms of getting a UTAH medical cannabis program established, especially via the ballot initiative route, the key is building a working consensus and coalition across as many aspects of civil society as possible, and most of us are from the school of catching more flies with honey than vinegar.
Which is why, of course, we’re called TRUCE and not, say FIGHT, lol.
Enjoy your Sunday….!
#MMJ #Initiative #Media #UTpol #PatientsBeforePolitics #TRUCE
See full article – Reefer Radness
