Monday, March 07, 2005

The Cold Heart of an Apparatchik

Cleaning out a drawer of paperwork, I came across an interesting letter from the Chicago Tribune dated June 25, 2003. It was sent me while I was helping to promote, with other zeensters, a fundraising event in Chicago for writer Cullen Carter, who'd been seriously injured in an accident and had huge medical bills. Here is what the Tribune letter said:

"Dear Mr. Wenclas,

"Thank you for contacting the Chicago Tribune regarding supporting the Benefit for Cullen Carter Committee event. Although we greatly appreciate the opportunity, we will not be able to participate at this time.

"We take a more strategic look at how our event involvement helps us meet our business objectives. We have determined that, in order to maximize our resources, we need to concentrate on those few events that offer us the greatest opportunity to interact with the consumers we need to reach. Unfortunately, the Benefit for Cullen Carter Committee event does not meet the criteria we have developed for our event participation.

"Angela Pindel, Associate Events Producer."

If I recall correctly, I had written letters to the Tribune's editor and publisher simply asking for them to buy a few tickets, to help a fellow member of the writing business. I assumed they could afford it. They were able to view my letter only through their narrow, selfish perspective.

These are the kind of people who control the flow of information and the dissemination of culture.

No comments: