Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part III

Posted By Blackfive

HFM is still taking shots at Michael Yon's efforts.  Here's part of the text of a letter (plea) from HFM going out to retailers and distributors:

I am writing you about the inaugural issue of our new publication Shock. First, thank you for your support. I do wish to voice my concern, however, over the attention photographer Michael Yon has drawn to its cover image of his photograph of an American soldier in Iraq. 

As you may know, just as the issue was arriving on newsstands, Mr. Yon contacted us regarding copyright issues about the photo.  Since Hachette is a worldwide publisher of over 260 magazines, we highly value and uphold the rights of photographers and handle copyright clearances as a matter of routine. 

Even though we had purchased the rights to use the photograph through a reputable photo agency, we recognize that misunderstandings do occur.  We acted quickly to address Mr. Yon's concerns, attempted to settle the matter, and when he agreed to a settlement, Mr. Yon himself stated on June 5th via his on-line magazine that he was "satisfied" that we were "acting in good faith."  A few days later, Mr. Yon reversed his position and walked away from our talks. We were disappointed, but not surprised.

It is my personal belief that Michael Yon has benefited from and continues to exploit the controversy to promote his political agenda. Shock's editorial position is to be provocative – and we welcome the debate.  We hope that the compelling photographs in each issue spark discussion.  However, we will not allow Mr. Yon's tactics to intimidate us.

Mr. Yon appears to have taken on the role of self-appointed censor and makes the assumption that if a media outlet depicts the current war in Iraq in a way he considers to be unacceptable, they are anti-military and thus anti-American. To be clear, there is nothing in our story on Iraq that dishonors our troops, quite the contrary. That said, Mr. Yon sees it fit to use intimidation tactics – such as email campaigns to people like you -- to paralyze us, the "offender."

(For more background on Mr. Yon and his controversial past and relationship to the U.S. Army etc. please read this story published recently by The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-yon9feb09,0,5115572.story?page=1&coll=la-home-headlines )

While mainstream press has mostly ignored this story, like-minded bloggers have taken it up with a vengeance and Mr. Yon's website enables anyone to simply press a button and send prepared statements and complaint letters to retailers, to Hachette executives, and to other bloggers en masse. He has a highly-organized campaign and, while we do not take issue with Michael Yon's right to voice his opinion, it seems clear that those participating in this effort are not Shock readers, but rather Mr. Yon's followers.

Because of Shock's outstanding success in Europe, our research in the U.S. which clearly shows a market for this product here, and our plans to aggressively promote this new title to its intended demographic (18-34), we are confident that this magazine will strike a chord with the younger generation.

I hope this helps put the situation in its true light and invite you to contact me directly with your thoughts.

Jack Kliger

President & Chief Executive Officer

And here's part of Michael Yon's response to that letter:

On Friday, Yon responded to an accusation of “censorship” leveled against him by Hachette Filapacchi executives who were starting to feel the pinch of diminishing shelf space. “This campaign is NOT censorship. It’s the muscular articulation of principle,” he says. “It’s how honorable people align their actions with their words. Not buying Shock, or any HFM magazine, cancelling subscriptions they may already have, and shopping in stores that are with us in this battle, are all ways Americans are sending a clear message to this company, its distributors and advertisers.”

According to Yon, the message is being heard, but not yet heeded. HFM executives have acknowledged in public statements that Yon’s campaign is having a serious impact on sales. Phone calls and emails from legions of readers and colleagues have already eliminated almost 7,000 retail outlets in 7 days as chains like Rite-Aid, Brooks-Eckerd, and Tower Records were joined Friday by Kroger, Fry’s and King Snooper Markets in agreeing to pull the magazine. 

But Yon says it’s how Hachette Filapacchi executives have responded to the crescendo of outrage-- with what he calls “increasingly transparent and desperate spin,”-- that best illustrates how out of touch this company is with American consumers. In addition to accusations of “censorship,” HFM spokespersons also tried to defend the magazine’s cover story, which Yon considers a “denigration of soldiers.” Lurid cover headlines promise “shocking proof” that “Iraq is the new Vietnam,”an assertion that first prompted Yon to comment: “The only thing shocking is its lameness, and the only thing it proves is how low this French mega-media conglomerate will stoop in order to squeeze two bucks out of its sneering mockery of others.”

“They can claim it’s not an attack against our soldiers, but there is not a single positive syllable or statistic anywhere in that article,” Yon says. “From inflammatory captions like ‘apocalypse then and now,’ to the shoe-horned statistics and misleading claims, to the telling photograph and mention of Cindy Sheehan, this goes beyond patent bias. It’s a smear that leaves no question about what Hachette Filapacchi Media thinks about the United States military. They can dress that animal up in haute couture, but Americans know a pig in a party dress when they see one, and they’re not buying it.” Yon says the campaign, which is only a week old, will grow in magnitude with every instance of stonewalling and spinning from Hachette Filapacchi Media: “we are holding them accountable.”

Mike Yon 3, HFM 0

Keep up the pressure.  If you haven't gotten involved, you could be the tipping point, the straw et. al...

And the LA Times piece, IMHO, was nothing more than a hit on Michael before the Pulitzers were awarded - a standard tactic in the MSM to reduce the competition.

Background:

Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part II (June 16, 2006)
Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part I (June 13, 2006)
Michael Yon and Blackfive on Pundit Review Radio (June 12, 2006)
When You Steal From Deal With a MilBlogger - Part III (June 5, 2006)
When You Steal From a MilBlogger - Part II (June 2, 2006)
When You Steal From a MilBlogger - Part I (May 25, 2006)

---

Mission: To protect and promote the reputation and dignity of America's Warriors.
Join us!

Comments

Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part III

HFM is still taking shots at Michael Yon's efforts.  Here's part of the text of a letter (plea) from HFM going out to retailers and distributors:

I am writing you about the inaugural issue of our new publication Shock. First, thank you for your support. I do wish to voice my concern, however, over the attention photographer Michael Yon has drawn to its cover image of his photograph of an American soldier in Iraq. 

As you may know, just as the issue was arriving on newsstands, Mr. Yon contacted us regarding copyright issues about the photo.  Since Hachette is a worldwide publisher of over 260 magazines, we highly value and uphold the rights of photographers and handle copyright clearances as a matter of routine. 

Even though we had purchased the rights to use the photograph through a reputable photo agency, we recognize that misunderstandings do occur.  We acted quickly to address Mr. Yon's concerns, attempted to settle the matter, and when he agreed to a settlement, Mr. Yon himself stated on June 5th via his on-line magazine that he was "satisfied" that we were "acting in good faith."  A few days later, Mr. Yon reversed his position and walked away from our talks. We were disappointed, but not surprised.

It is my personal belief that Michael Yon has benefited from and continues to exploit the controversy to promote his political agenda. Shock's editorial position is to be provocative – and we welcome the debate.  We hope that the compelling photographs in each issue spark discussion.  However, we will not allow Mr. Yon's tactics to intimidate us.

Mr. Yon appears to have taken on the role of self-appointed censor and makes the assumption that if a media outlet depicts the current war in Iraq in a way he considers to be unacceptable, they are anti-military and thus anti-American. To be clear, there is nothing in our story on Iraq that dishonors our troops, quite the contrary. That said, Mr. Yon sees it fit to use intimidation tactics – such as email campaigns to people like you -- to paralyze us, the "offender."

(For more background on Mr. Yon and his controversial past and relationship to the U.S. Army etc. please read this story published recently by The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-yon9feb09,0,5115572.story?page=1&coll=la-home-headlines )

While mainstream press has mostly ignored this story, like-minded bloggers have taken it up with a vengeance and Mr. Yon's website enables anyone to simply press a button and send prepared statements and complaint letters to retailers, to Hachette executives, and to other bloggers en masse. He has a highly-organized campaign and, while we do not take issue with Michael Yon's right to voice his opinion, it seems clear that those participating in this effort are not Shock readers, but rather Mr. Yon's followers.

Because of Shock's outstanding success in Europe, our research in the U.S. which clearly shows a market for this product here, and our plans to aggressively promote this new title to its intended demographic (18-34), we are confident that this magazine will strike a chord with the younger generation.

I hope this helps put the situation in its true light and invite you to contact me directly with your thoughts.

Jack Kliger

President & Chief Executive Officer

And here's part of Michael Yon's response to that letter:

On Friday, Yon responded to an accusation of “censorship” leveled against him by Hachette Filapacchi executives who were starting to feel the pinch of diminishing shelf space. “This campaign is NOT censorship. It’s the muscular articulation of principle,” he says. “It’s how honorable people align their actions with their words. Not buying Shock, or any HFM magazine, cancelling subscriptions they may already have, and shopping in stores that are with us in this battle, are all ways Americans are sending a clear message to this company, its distributors and advertisers.”

According to Yon, the message is being heard, but not yet heeded. HFM executives have acknowledged in public statements that Yon’s campaign is having a serious impact on sales. Phone calls and emails from legions of readers and colleagues have already eliminated almost 7,000 retail outlets in 7 days as chains like Rite-Aid, Brooks-Eckerd, and Tower Records were joined Friday by Kroger, Fry’s and King Snooper Markets in agreeing to pull the magazine. 

But Yon says it’s how Hachette Filapacchi executives have responded to the crescendo of outrage-- with what he calls “increasingly transparent and desperate spin,”-- that best illustrates how out of touch this company is with American consumers. In addition to accusations of “censorship,” HFM spokespersons also tried to defend the magazine’s cover story, which Yon considers a “denigration of soldiers.” Lurid cover headlines promise “shocking proof” that “Iraq is the new Vietnam,”an assertion that first prompted Yon to comment: “The only thing shocking is its lameness, and the only thing it proves is how low this French mega-media conglomerate will stoop in order to squeeze two bucks out of its sneering mockery of others.”

“They can claim it’s not an attack against our soldiers, but there is not a single positive syllable or statistic anywhere in that article,” Yon says. “From inflammatory captions like ‘apocalypse then and now,’ to the shoe-horned statistics and misleading claims, to the telling photograph and mention of Cindy Sheehan, this goes beyond patent bias. It’s a smear that leaves no question about what Hachette Filapacchi Media thinks about the United States military. They can dress that animal up in haute couture, but Americans know a pig in a party dress when they see one, and they’re not buying it.” Yon says the campaign, which is only a week old, will grow in magnitude with every instance of stonewalling and spinning from Hachette Filapacchi Media: “we are holding them accountable.”

Mike Yon 3, HFM 0

Keep up the pressure.  If you haven't gotten involved, you could be the tipping point, the straw et. al...

And the LA Times piece, IMHO, was nothing more than a hit on Michael before the Pulitzers were awarded - a standard tactic in the MSM to reduce the competition.

Background:

Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part II (June 16, 2006)
Support Michael Yon - Boycott Car and Driver - Part I (June 13, 2006)
Michael Yon and Blackfive on Pundit Review Radio (June 12, 2006)
When You Steal From Deal With a MilBlogger - Part III (June 5, 2006)
When You Steal From a MilBlogger - Part II (June 2, 2006)
When You Steal From a MilBlogger - Part I (May 25, 2006)

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