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Free The Truth

This Action took place in 2020 - Have a read through - it may inspire you!

Contents The Action | Extra Press Contacts | Example BBC Complaints letters

The Action

Friday 4th - Saturday 5th Sept

Whats going on?

This action follows a national flyposting campaign highlighting the failure of the mainstream media to tell the truth about the climate emergency.

If you are reading this, it also means that, overnight, rebels successfully shut down the factory where various billionaire-owned newspapers (including those of Rupert Murdoch) are printed, meaning The Sun, Mail, Telegraph and The Times will not be distributed today. This means that as well as promoting your flyposting campaigns, local groups now have the opportunity to fill the void left by the much of the mainstream press - we can free the truth about the climate and ecological emergencies!

  • What can local groups do?

Your local group may already be taking part in a flyposting campaign… Broadcast your flyposting campaigns on social media and in local press. Share photos on social media accounts to broadcast the campaign as widely as possible!

You can also go to your local newsagent and explain to potential newspaper buyers why their newspaper is not on the shelves.

  • You could say something like:

“Extinction Rebellion have disrupted the print factories, exposing the failure of these corporations to accurately report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of the truth to suit their own personal and political agendas.”

Details are contained in the original briefing which you can read here.

  • Take Action Online!

Let the world know that we have shut down the press to free the truth about the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

FILL THE VOID #1 Take part in a social media campaign:

  • Take photos of empty shelves where The Sun, Telegraph and The Times would normally be placed. Print out at home one of these alternative headlines and place them on empty shelves and racks if you can and photograph the results. Send your images here (Verify this is the still the correct place first - contact them before sending imnages)

  • Print out and place A4 versions of our posters where The Sun and The Times would be - and takes photos of this.

  • Post these images onto your local group social media feeds with the following hashtags:

#FreeTheTruth

#StandTogether

#DontGetDistracted

  • You can use or adapt this text for the social content to accompany your images: 5 crooks own the media.

Today, we shut one of them down!

The Sun and The Times will not be on shelves today. Instead, XR will be telling the truth about the climate and ecological emergencies.

#FreeTheTruth

  • Throughout the day, you could post content about:
    • The climate and ecological emergency with the messaging:
    • 5 crooks own the media > Free the truth
    • The XR Rebellion using the messaging:
    • They want us divided > Stand together
    • Watch out for content on the Extinction Rebellion UK Facebook and Twitter accounts and share it across your platforms.

FILL THE VOID #2 Write to the editors:

Email your letters to the editors of these papers - our aim is to get as many emails in as possible:

  • The Times:

    • feedback@thetimes.co.uk

    • Letters page (must include a name, contact number and postal address)

    • letters@thetimes.co.uk

  • Sunday Times:

    • newsdesk@sunday-times.co.uk
  • The Sun:

    • letters@the-sun.co.uk

    • exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

    • sunmanchester@the-sun.co.uk

  • The Telegraph

    • dtletters@telegraph.co.uk news@telegraph.co.uk

Search and find their twitter handles, Facebook and Instagram accounts and send your message, demanding they #tellthetruth #freethetruth and unshackle the chains of their billionaire, scallywag, media-baron owners and be the journalists they need to be to help save the planet.

Extra Press Contacts

  • media.info This seems a little out of date, but useful for getting editor and journalists names and email addresses, but note that sometimes adding the names in the format suggested get rejected as the email address does not exist. Advised by the Telegraph editor to send “Any specific stories, as opposed to general rhetoric”.

  • Times

    • Information on editors etc:

    home.news@thetimes.co.uk,

    Editor's page The Times

    • Email format: firstname.surname@thetimes.co.uk
    • home.news@thetimes.co.uk
    • Editor of The Times: John Witherow john.witherow@thetimes.co.uk
    • Deputy Editor of The Times: Tony Gallagher tony.gallagher@thetimes.co.uk
    • Editor of The Sunday Times: Emma Tucker emma.tucker@thetimes.co.uk
    • Political editor Times Tim Shipman unknown email (tim.shipman@ Email rejected) @ShippersUnbound
    • Environment editor Ben Webster ben.webseter@thetimes.co.uk 07880 505596 Twitter: @bwebster135
  • Telegraph

    • Information on editor etc: https://corporate.telegraph.co.uk/people/

    • General contacts https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact-us/editorial/

    • Sunday Telegraph Economics Editor Edmund Conway - https://www.edmundconway.com/booking/ ec@edmundconway.com

    • CEO nick.hugh@telegraph.co.uk

    • Editor chris.evans@telegraph.co.uk

    • Deputy Editor allister.heath@telegraph.co.uk

    • News editor matthew.bayley@telegraph.co.uk

    • Associate editor camilla.tominey@telegraph.co.uk 07920 139059

    • Environment Editor Emma Gatten emma.gatten@telegraph.co.uk

    • BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin @rharrabin

Complain to the BBC - LINK

Some Examples of letters sent

Rebel Responders Rebel Responders Handbook: https://is.gd/MM5O7m
Telegram group: https://t.me/joinchat/NqR0zRdHfN0nRy6-YL4tdw
Community chat: https://is.gd/Ko9ygB

Example BBC Complaints letters

There has been negligence on the behalf of the BBC to report on the XR protests, they are funded by our taxes and serve us the people.

Note the complaints form has a 2000 word limit.

  • Below are some templates of how you can complain to the BBC:

Example 1

Dear BBC,

I wish to complain about the lack of serious coverage of the climate crisis we now find ourselves in. I write this complaint with a heavy heart as I have had the utmost respect and admiration for the work of the BBC throughout my life. Regrettably though, in recent years, and most poignantly over the last few days, I feel that this critical issue has not been given sufficient attention by the BBC news.

Climate and ecological breakdown are scientific issues. They are driven by complex and diverse factors, best understood by experts (scientists) who have in many instances devoted their whole careers to understanding and trying to solve these difficult and very real problems. The view of climate scientists must therefore surely be of more relevance in this matter than that of political or social pundits, though they appear to be hugely under-represented in your coverage of climate and ecological news stories.

I understand that the BBC must of course remain impartial, and always provide points of view to both sides of every debate. However we need to bear in mind that climate breakdown is something that will affect every single person on this planet; so there is no denying that this is an issue that must be given a greater priority in its coverage, but a coverage which is based in the facts rather than based on political opinion.

Please do not forget how well regarded the BBC is around the world, and by extension to this, your potential to make change by reaching so many people. It is so important that the media do their part in helping solve this crisis by making people aware of the facts, because after all, we are all in this together.

kind regards,


Example 2

Dear BBC, I, and others, now feel the BBC has been failing us by not reporting important stories, such as the climate crisis, and not remaining impartial, despite being paid by the people to inform us. Recently you have had a few truth telling reports and shows that have had some impact, such as The Blue Planet effect, but it is too little too late. You cannot correct past mistakes but you can, and for all our sakes must, step up and tell the truth.

I cannot find a single mention to the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill written and backed by prominent scientists, economists, MPs and environmentalists or the peer-reviewed studies stating strong links between climate change and pandemics in our media output; aren’t these newsworthy? Did I and countless others miss it or have we been simply been left in the dark through your editing choices?

Equally I have been confused by the BBCs representation of those trying to bring the climate crisis and CEE bill to the public’s attention. Your reports state the number of arrests, the (albeit minor) disruption, and images making protesters appear to be vandals when using water soluble paints and chalks, and collecting all litter dropped by them or anyone else who passed by. Arrestees having charges dropped since their protests washed off aren’t reported. You have to be impartial, meaning you can state facts like climate science (you wouldn’t give equal time to flat-earthers as Brian Cox!), and why/how people are protesting emulating the non-violent, respectful civil rights movements. You must give information from both sides, not just the more politically convenient one!

The BBC is so highly regarded around the world, and surely needs to stand up and make its voice count in our most critical hour. You have a responsibility to tell the truth and not bend to political opinion or shy away from inconvenient facts. We are all in this together, but you have the power! I am looking forward to hopefully getting more balanced and factual coverage from the BBC.

Sincerely,