News (Media Awareness Project) - The Netherlands: Letter from Harry Bego, MAP-NL to MAP |
| Title: | The Netherlands: Letter from Harry Bego, MAP-NL to MAP |
| Published On: | 2003-03-23 |
| Source: | Letters to MAP (The Media Awareness Project of DrugSense) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-20 21:34:32 |
Since its inception, MAP has provided Dutch reformers with a constant
stream of information from the English-speaking press. News clippings,
op-eds and letters find their way through the Dutch reform movement,
which is a mostly informal network. This has proved invaluable in
keeping us up to date with international developments, helping us in
strengthening the case nationally.
Two years ago a few of us realised that it would be good to have a
MAP-like service covering the Dutch press, so we started several
mailing lists and a web page - all hosted by DrugSense - and several
newshawks have provided a steady stream of articles since then
(thanks, Peter and Job of MDGH!). Fortunately, the Dutch press
landscape is not that large (which at the same time gives me an idea
about the amount of work done by Mappers in the US). Although the
current number of subscribers of MAP-NL is limited (around one
hundred) they are from most of the relevant Dutch institutions (a.o.
ministerial departments). MAP-NL clippings are incorporated in
newsletters by several of these.
There is some work ahead, however. Some of us write op-eds on an
irregular basis, but getting other people to write letters is not at
all easy. So far we haven't made real work of that part of the plan.
First, the list of subscribers needs to grow significantly to be able
to respond effectively to urgent issues.
One of my plans for the near future is to update the Virtual Breeze
page, which is a (very subjective) selection of links to good
pro-reform op-eds in the MAP archive. So many good op-eds have been
written, and many of them deserve not to sink in the ever swelling
tide of now 100,000 clippings ! I have found that page a helpful
resource e.g. in communications with editors.
Anyway, thanks to all you Mappers and Mapsters for your unrelenting
efforts. Very slowly but very surely it will work out. And thanks to
DrugSense, for its support of MAP-NL !
Harry Bego
Utrecht, The Netherlands
MAP-NL: www.mapinc.org/mapnl
The Virtual Breeze: www.mapinc.org/mapnl/breeze.htm
stream of information from the English-speaking press. News clippings,
op-eds and letters find their way through the Dutch reform movement,
which is a mostly informal network. This has proved invaluable in
keeping us up to date with international developments, helping us in
strengthening the case nationally.
Two years ago a few of us realised that it would be good to have a
MAP-like service covering the Dutch press, so we started several
mailing lists and a web page - all hosted by DrugSense - and several
newshawks have provided a steady stream of articles since then
(thanks, Peter and Job of MDGH!). Fortunately, the Dutch press
landscape is not that large (which at the same time gives me an idea
about the amount of work done by Mappers in the US). Although the
current number of subscribers of MAP-NL is limited (around one
hundred) they are from most of the relevant Dutch institutions (a.o.
ministerial departments). MAP-NL clippings are incorporated in
newsletters by several of these.
There is some work ahead, however. Some of us write op-eds on an
irregular basis, but getting other people to write letters is not at
all easy. So far we haven't made real work of that part of the plan.
First, the list of subscribers needs to grow significantly to be able
to respond effectively to urgent issues.
One of my plans for the near future is to update the Virtual Breeze
page, which is a (very subjective) selection of links to good
pro-reform op-eds in the MAP archive. So many good op-eds have been
written, and many of them deserve not to sink in the ever swelling
tide of now 100,000 clippings ! I have found that page a helpful
resource e.g. in communications with editors.
Anyway, thanks to all you Mappers and Mapsters for your unrelenting
efforts. Very slowly but very surely it will work out. And thanks to
DrugSense, for its support of MAP-NL !
Harry Bego
Utrecht, The Netherlands
MAP-NL: www.mapinc.org/mapnl
The Virtual Breeze: www.mapinc.org/mapnl/breeze.htm
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