*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
News Release
« on: January 14, 2014, 07:32:18 PM »
I believe this has been discussed elsewhere, but I suggest we create a press release to try to get some publicity for the new site. I'm sure a lot of news agencies would be happy to cover it, at least on a slow news day.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

Thork

Re: News Release
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2014, 07:49:39 PM »
What do you propose goes into it?

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2014, 07:55:18 PM »
Just a simple piece about how we've moved and this is the new URL. Maybe sensationalize it a bit in order to sell ourselves, of course. Something like "Schism at the Flat Earth Society!" would do nicely. It should be significant enough to get attention, but not so significant that it makes us look bad. We could talk about how rising tensions over a distant and incompetent society leadership led to the creation of a new sect based on democratic ideals. At the bottom of the release, we could say something about further information about the Flat Earth Society and Flat Earth Theory being available upon request. We could make a Zetetic Council email address for it.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

Thork

Re: News Release
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2014, 08:01:09 PM »
Ok.

Who is going to write it?
Who is going to approach the press?
Who are we going to approach from the press?

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2014, 08:07:53 PM »
Didn't Daniel have a list of contacts he posted when we were discussing making a reply to Obama's Flat Earth Society comments? We could use that list.

I'll write the release if you guys want, but might not actually be able to do it for a while because schoolwork. I'm not going to be sleeping for the next few days as it is.

Tom is probably the best candidate for approaching the press. He seems to be the head of the council, having gotten the most votes, and he's possibly the most respected member of the society.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

*

Offline Tom Bishop

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 10637
  • Flat Earth Believer
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2014, 01:48:50 PM »
I'll be happy to approach the press.

Thork

Re: News Release
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2014, 04:06:59 PM »
I'd be happy for you to do so.

That's 3 of us.  It's a go Big Daddy.

If you need any help, just ask.

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2014, 05:54:47 PM »
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

*

Offline Tom Bishop

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 10637
  • Flat Earth Believer
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2014, 09:21:07 PM »
News releases should be in hold until we figure out if we are going to be changing names or not.

*

Offline Tom Bishop

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 10637
  • Flat Earth Believer
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2014, 09:25:21 AM »
To clarify on this thread; was I voted to write the press release, or simply approach the press? It had sounded as if a press release was in progress and I was simply tasked with mass emailing press agencies.

In any event, as there seems to be a delay with a press release formation, I will take the liberty to help with this task. First, what we need is a summary of what the article will be about.

Ie.

1. Give a background of the society from its origins to get the reporters up to speed
2. Explain why we splintered off - dissension in the ranks!
3. Explain why this is a better flat earth society, that we contain leading Flat earth theorists
4. Explain that we have several projects in the works, an annotated Earth Not a Globe, an Encyclopedia Wiki, a video, new Zetetic ideas that revolutionize science, etc.
5. Welcome visitors to join us. Maybe a challenge to show us that we are wrong.

Secondly, the points need to be fleshed out, and those bullet points turned into paragraphs.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2014, 05:26:35 PM by Tom Bishop »

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2014, 04:24:56 AM »
To clarify on this thread; was I voted to write the press release, or simply approach the press? It had sounded as if a press release was in progress and I was simply tasked with mass emailing press agencies.

In any event, as there seems to be a delay with a press release formation, I will take the liberty to help with this task. First, what we need is a summary of what the article will be about.

Ie.

1. Give a background of the society from its origins to get the reporters up to speed
2. Explain why we splintered off - dissension in the ranks!
3. Explain why this is a better flat earth society, that we contain leading Flat earth theorists
4. Explain that we have several projects in the works, an annotated Earth Not a Globe, an Encyclopedia Wiki, a video, new Zetetic ideas that revolutionize science, etc.
5. Welcome visitors to join us. Maybe a challenge to show us that we are wrong.

Secondly, the points need to be fleshed out, and those bullet points turned into paragraphs.

Just to approach it. We should write the press together, but someone has to be the persona that gets in touch with the press. We'll help with whatever we can.

I agree with that rough outline.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2014, 05:39:37 PM »
I've written a (very) rough draft in the google doc.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2014, 07:26:51 PM »
Can someone review what I've written?

We also will need an email address for the press to contact us with. council@tfes.org or something like that.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2014, 07:29:34 PM by Tausami »
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

*

Offline Tom Bishop

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 10637
  • Flat Earth Believer
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2014, 04:54:09 AM »
I apologize for being away. I've been having some health issues this month and haven't been able to concentrate on much. The press release looks good. I think it needs something though. An open challenge to prove us wrong, perhaps. Something provocative, rather than informational.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2014, 04:56:08 AM by Tom Bishop »

Thork

Re: News Release
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2014, 01:07:23 AM »
Can someone review what I've written?

We also will need an email address for the press to contact us with. council@tfes.org or something like that.
Factual, but it doesn't grab attention. I'm going to go out on a limb and write something a bit more provocative. Feel free to poo-pooh it.


Trouble brewing on Flat Earth

The world famous Flat Earth Society is undergoing a seismic shift. Internal wrangling has forced the society into two factions with the rebel Flat Earthers setting up their own rival website and flat earth library.

Strangely it isn't ideology that separates the warring flatties, but the way in which the society is run. For the past 9 years it has been lead by its President, Daniel Shenton. Critics argue that he is more of a dictator than a president, having never had an election and bestowed the title and position upon himself. Harsher critics yet, claim he is nothing more than a domain squatter. However, his proponents argue he re-birthed the organisation and without him it would not have its current following.

With more than half of the resident Flat Earthers breaking away, this new branch of the society has elected a 'Zetetic council' to preside over affairs. These 5 Flat Earth experts are looking to be far more aggressive in their promotion of the society and wish to publically challenge and embarrass the globular establishment. This harks back to a more pro-active Flat Earth Society of yesteryear, where challenges were issued to prove earth was not flat with cash incentives, law suits were regularly filed (and won) and scientific heavy-weights were debated with ferocity in the public arena.

The modern Flat Earth Society itself, has undergone many changes in its 150 year history. It was originally founded by Dr Samuel Birley Rowbotham, an inventor, academic and physician who became a pioneer of the soft drinks industry and became a very wealthy man in his own right. He published many texts including one of the most prominent works of its type "Earth Not a Globe" but also used the society as a readymade sales force selling Dr Birley's Syrup of Free Phosphorus which was an early forerunner of what we would today call 'cola'.

The society passed through the hands of wealthy heiress Lady Blount and onto the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion (Illinois) run by John Alexander Dowie and his successor Glen Wilbur Voliva through the early part of the 20th century. It was during this time the society became synonymous with religious cults and biblical literacy, an image its detractors are still keen to portray to this day.

By the 1950s the society was being run by Samuel Shenton (no relation to the aforementioned Daniel Shenton), and was once again focussing on empirical based research regarding earth's shape. Shenton was a signwriter by trade. He produced many documents and newsletters and lectured tirelessly during the space race of the 1960s. He won over many supporters, but lost momentum and by the time of his death the organisation's membership had dwindled to just 24. This lull was short-lived with his successor Charles K Johnson swelling the official register to over 3000 before the society once again fell into disarray after his death.

Perhaps current events should come as no surprise to such a colourful organisation with its rich chequered history. The only likelihood is that it will be every bit as fascinating to see what happens next.



Ok, that's it. I've had a few beers so I'm not at my literary best, but the intention is to be provocative, give information about the society and to get people to try to find out more.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2014, 01:10:51 AM by Thork »

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2014, 04:38:34 AM »
Should we be provocative? My understanding was that that's the press's job and that we're just supposed to provide them with information.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

Thork

Re: News Release
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2014, 10:21:34 AM »
Well throw them an angle. Otherwise why are they going to run the story?

*

Offline Tau

  • Zetetic Council Member
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Magistrum Fallaciae
    • View Profile
Re: News Release
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2014, 04:41:54 PM »
Well throw them an angle. Otherwise why are they going to run the story?

Well, because we're the Flat Earth Society. I dunno, I'm just afraid sensationalism will look unprofessional. However, I also knew exactly nothing about press releases before I started researching it to write this one, so it's also entirely possible that I'm completely wrong.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ