News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE & DISTRIBUTION
Contact: N. E. Francis
(209) 251-9894
[email protected]
STRAIGHT CALIFORNIA NEWS REPORTER TO WRITE 30 DAYS OF LGBT STORIES TO PROTEST PROP 8
May 26, 2009: When N. E. Francis, an arts and entertainment reporter based in Sacramento, California, recently lost three-fourths of her online readers after writing LGBT stories, the frustrated reporter realized that gay-themed articles were costing her money and readership. So Francis decided to do something she has never seen done by a non-LGBT reporter before: beginning June 1, she will write 30 days of gay and lesbian A&E articles to combat homophobia in the media.
-I couldn’t believe that my readers would abandon my stories if they featured gay or lesbian artists. I really thought that Americans, Californians especially, were more tolerant than that,” says Francis. -So I determined that in June, Gay Pride month, I would write at least one LGBT arts and entertainment article per day. My hope is that by covering the LGBT art community for one whole month that my readers will become more open-minded and accepting of the gay community.”
Francis, who is the Arts and Entertainment Reporter for Examiner.com/Sacramento and is paid by her articles’ online traffic, not per story written, realizes that covering the LGBT arts community may cost her money and even more readership. -I don’t care if I don’t make a penny all month. I just really believe that America is ready for mainstream gay and lesbian stories. It’s time for us to put aside our differences and prejudices and come together as a nation of loving and tolerant citizens.”
Francis is currently looking for gay and lesbian artists and entertainers to feature in her June articles. For more information, contact N. E. Francis at [email protected].