-------- Original Message -------- Subject: USA Decay Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 22:55:08 -0500
This is Great. If anyone hasn't seen it, it is really well done, very funny.
Group Puts Fake Front on USA Today
By BRIGITTE GREENBERG Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Some readers who bought copies of USA Today did double-takes Thursday after a group of peace activists wrapped some papers in a fake front page with the masthead: ``USA Decay.''
Officials with USA Today said they did not know how many streetside newspaper boxes had been targeted or how many newspapers were affected, but the group claimed to have hit boxes in nine cities, including Boston, New York, Washington, Denver and San Francisco.
The organization that claimed responsibility calls itself Shiftdough.org. In a press release, the group described its members as a ``collection of activists who call for shifting dough out of the Pentagon budget and into human needs,'' such as education, health care and the environment.
The release gave no information on how to contact the members, and on the Web site, they acknowledge trying to conceal their identities. The site is hosted by a Burlington, Vt., company and is registered to Michael Dorfman of Floro, Norway.
``I set up the Web site and put together the list of the links. That was my contribution, but I was not involved at all in this newspaper action,'' Dorfman said Thursday when contacted by phone. ``Shiftdough is kind a loose affiliation of activists. I definitely support what it stands for.''
But Dorfman said he did not know how many people were members of the group, how many newspaper boxes had been hit, or who was responsible for altering the newspapers.
Bob Dubill, executive editor of USA Today, said the newspaper's lawyers were checking whether the group's action was a violation of any state or federal laws. He said he learned of the mock pages from readers and employees.
``We're looking into the matter,'' said Dubill, declining to comment further.
The fake front page, made to resemble the real thing, probably would not have fooled anyone for long. One headline read ``Pentagon to Throw Bombs Away,'' and another was ``Defense, Education Departments to Merge.'' The ``Newsline section'' of the real paper was renamed ``Newslime.''
The spoof of the newspaper also offered the following travel tip: ``Call your travel agent to see if your destination country is currently in the process of being bombed by the USA.''