MUFON Massachusetts PIPEline - 1986 01

Magazine Overview

Title: MUFON P.I.P.E. Line
Issue: #16
Date: January, 1986
Publisher: MUFON
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the MUFON P.I.P.E. Line focuses on a significant proposal aimed at advancing the UFO subject through a comprehensive national campaign.

Food for Thought: A National UFO Disclosure Campaign Proposal

The lead article, "Food for thought," introduces a proposal commissioned by Bob Bletchman, a MUFON Committee member and Connecticut State Director, who is also an attorney. Bletchman has invested several hundred dollars to hire Charnas, Inc., a 4A advertising agency with a strong track record, to develop a step-by-step communications program. The primary goal of this program is to sensitize the American public to the UFO situation and, with the backing of an awakened press, to achieve the release of all UFO information currently held by the U.S. Government.

Bletchman emphasizes that while the proposal will serve as a cornerstone for his paper at MSU, he wants it to be shared and employed if possible, not kept to himself.

Objectives of the Campaign

Charnas, Inc. has designated four key objectives for the proposed campaign:

1. Government Release: To influence the U.S. Government to release all withheld information on UFOs.
2. Media Engagement: To interest the media in investigating UFO case accounts, increase editorial coverage of the UFO issue, and apply pressure on the government to release the information.
3. Dispel Ridicule: To help dispel the curtain of ridicule that has been set up to discredit serious investigation of UFOs.
4. Awareness of Potential: To generate awareness of the far-reaching potential of scientific and technological information gathered from UFOs.

Strategy and Implementation

To influence the U.S. Government, the proposal states that pressure must first be applied to the Legislature (Congress) through public awareness. Charnas would work to sensitize the media to the seriousness of the UFO subject and the U.S. Government's role in it. The agency plans to launch a national advertising campaign to awaken the general public and foster interest from the news media.

The national advertising campaign requires two main steps:

1. Fundraising Campaign: A direct mail campaign would be initiated to create public awareness and raise seed money. This seed money would fund a program to test different national media and advertising approaches to find the most productive formula for fundraising.
2. National Ad Launch: The actual launch of the first national ads would generate the money for the second phase of national advertising.

The proposal suggests that a national advertising schedule will predispose the media to run editorial coverage of UFO issues.

Advertising Approaches

The proposal includes various advertising approaches:

• Case Histories: To create public awareness of UFO incidents in the news.
• Improved Quality of Life: Highlighting that withheld UFO information, if released, could improve the quality of life on Earth by providing advanced techniques or technologies.
• Avoiding Danger: Addressing the atmosphere of secrecy and misinformation, which promotes potentially dangerous responses to UFO sightings.
• Right to Know: Emphasizing that the public has a right to know and advocating for the elimination of the cover-up.

Media Strategies and Fundraising

Media strategies will pinpoint groups most responsive to UFO fundraising. A direct mail campaign will be launched, accompanied by a motivating brochure to educate and inform target markets and procure funds. Thematic gifts, such as binoculars for donations of $500 or more, are proposed.

The estimated cost for creative work and materials for a fund solicitation brochure is $7500. The cost of mailing to 100,000 individuals is estimated at $15,000, totaling $27,500 for this initial phase.

Charnas estimates potential returns from a 1% response rate at a $50 average donation could yield $50,000, a 2% return could produce $100,000, and a 4% return could generate $200,000.

This seed money will fund the testing of four national ads, each emphasizing a different facet of the cause: case histories, improving quality of life, avoiding military reaction, and the public's right to know. The testing phase for these ads in regional editions of national publications is estimated to cost $15,000, with an additional $4000 for research and analysis of the reactions.

The most effective advertising approach will then form the basis for a national campaign placed in various publications. Charnas states that initial funding will come from responses to previous ads, and the campaign will become self-funding.

Conclusion from Charnas: "We believe that the objective of influencing the govt. to be forthright and reveal its withheld UFO information is possible through a self-funding program of national advertising and its related influence on the national press."

Editor's Memo

Marge Christensen, the editor, dedicates significant space to the proposal in this issue to give it a fair chance of materializing and in deference to Bob Bletchman. However, she expresses personal skepticism regarding the proposal's realistic conception of the UFO situation and the U.S. Government's role in withholding information. Christensen notes the difficulty in devising a national campaign for a large corporation versus one for the UFO subject and foresees significant challenges in raising the initial $27,500 fee, based on her experience with UFO fundraising.

Despite her reservations, Christensen encourages readers to share their reactions and ideas. She expresses gratitude for individuals like Bob Bletchman who take initiative for the good of the UFO subject.

Information Section

This section addresses reader feedback and ongoing MUFON activities:

• MUFON Journal Content: Marge Christensen has composed a letter to Dennis Stacy, the MUFON Journal editor, conveying dismay over the current level of content and quality of the journal.
• Dr. Hynek Award: There is a consensus among readers that Dr. Hynek should not be nominated for an award at a symposium. Instead, a special award should be created to honor his lifetime work in the field, potentially named "THE J. ALLEN HYNEK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN UFO STUDIES." A ballot for nominees is expected in an upcoming issue.
• Media Policy Statement: In response to current media articles, five committee members have been appointed to draft a statement of policy for dealing with the media and issuing statements. This policy will be submitted for approval to the whole committee, the MUFON Board of Directors, and then published in the Journal.

Important Addresses

This section provides updated contact information for three committee members:

• Mildred Biesele: 2017 Lincoln Circle, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 (801-277-0686)
• Raymond Fowler: 13 Friend Court, Wenham, Massachusetts 01984 (617-468-4815)
• Fred Whiting: 3848 Brighton Ct., Alexandria, Virginia 22305 (703-683-2786)

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue is the strategic approach to UFO disclosure and public awareness. The magazine highlights a detailed proposal by an advertising agency, Charnas Inc., aiming to leverage public pressure and media influence to achieve government transparency on the UFO subject. The editorial stance, as expressed by Marge Christensen, is cautiously optimistic about the initiative while maintaining a realistic perspective on the challenges involved in fundraising and executing such a large-scale campaign for a controversial topic. The issue also touches upon internal MUFON matters, including feedback on the journal's quality and the establishment of media policy, indicating a focus on professionalizing the organization's public outreach and research recognition.