Soon after the full page RSE infomercials placed in the Olympian newspaper in May 2007, I contacted Keri Brenner reporter for The Olympian newspaper, asking if she cared to report on the other side of the RSE story?
She agreed to interview five former RSE students at my home, this was later in June, For those that came forward to be interview and photographed…. it took great courage, and few tears were shed in the process,
Keri told me she aimed to have the story printed in August.
Come August..I called Keri to ask what is going on, a change in plan she said!..
She wanted to tag our story into the “White Wind”/RSE court case scheduled for October.
I learnt yesterday that the court case has been rescheduled for next year,!!!
I phoned Keri today to ask what is going on, But..Still no go on the “other side of the RSE “ story….
When I mentioned to Keri that the situation looks very much like the Olympian was more concerned with its advertisers Keri responded that our story was just not that important, if I have issues with this…. take it up with the editor.

To echo Mathew Morrell’s post on this thread..

“The Olympian newspaper has become a mouthpiece for RSE,

Enough is enough….

David

Keri Brenner can be reached at 360-754-5435 or kbrenner@theolympian.com.

This was Keri Brenner's infomercial for RSE..
The Olympian Published: May 14th, 2007 01:00 AM



Ramtha school aims for less mystery

KERI BRENNER;


The Ramtha School of Enlightenment is shrouded in mystery for many who pass the gates of its 80-acre property near Yelm. School officials are looking to change that.
Led by JZ Knight, a woman who claims to channel the 35,000-year-old warrior Ramtha, the school has launched a campaign to highlight students’ economic and intellectual contributions to the community. The campaign includes news releases about individual students’ accomplishments as well as paid ads in publications.

Event services manager Steve Klein said the school always has been involved in the area. “What has changed is that now we want to tell our story – which is that not only are our students contributing to the community, but that they have an economic impact.”

Greg Simmons, marketing director for the school for 18 years and a teacher there for nine years, said it simply is the right time for the school’s message to come out. He said the school has no hidden agenda.

“In the past, we’ve sort of been anonymous to some degree, just to be left alone to do our work,” said Simmons, the author of a Ramtha school guide called “These Things You Shall Do … and Greater” (2006, Mulai de Guise Publishing, Rainier). “Now it’s time to let people know that we’re not just a school. We’re socially, economically and ecologically responsible.”

In the newspaper ads, the school says its students are avid consumers of local goods and services. Surveys that students filled out in February and March report that they spent a combined $250,000 to $665,000 per month – depending on the number of people attending the school at a given time – on food, hotels, rental cars, lattes, child care, clothes and supplies.

“They’ve certainly been good audiences for us,” said Howard Christian, operations manager for the eight-screen Yelm Cinemas. The theater arranges early morning showings of limited-edition films, such as “Who Killed the Electric Car?” last year, for as many as 1,200 students at a time who are in town for biannual retreats.

Knight has opened two gift and antiques stores called JZ Rose – one in Yelm and a second at Bellevue Square.

Her school’s teachings focus on scientific ways to focus energy and thoughts to express each person’s purpose and realize each person’s spiritual and material goals, according to school officials.

More than 5,000 current students attend at least two events a year, school officials say.

Worldwide, 15,000 people attended various satellite center classes last year.

I've long been curious about why The Olympian does only puff pieces on RSE. There is so much investigation they could do.

I participate in a local Olympia community blog olyblog.net and I'm interested in learning more about how RSE affects Olympia - the business community, The Olympian newspaper, and anything else relevant.

I'm not an ex-member but I do have quite a bit of life experience in destructive groups and cults are an interest of mine. I found out that a local restaurant Cielo Blu is run by "students and friends of RSE" and blogged about that http://www.olyblog.net/blog/sarah/ramtha-needs-a-date

olyblog.net is focused on the Olympia area, I encourage anyone who likes to join in, local themed posts are usually moved to our front page.

So, Keri Brenner had interviewed several people this last summer for an article she said she would publish in August.
August came and went.
She said she would publish it the first week of October to coincide with JZ's court case vs a local woman.
That came and went.
LAST week she said she was going to post and article about the L.A.R.S.E. gathering in today's Sunday paper, and post the article she said she originally wrote Sunday Nov4.
I have today's paper in my hand.
Yep. No article.
(what, she is going to tell me she missed the deadline because she was at the gathering??)
I think the media has their own agenda, esp when it involves someone with a poop load of money.
I see no consistancy or integrity for an unbiased opinion.
What a load of crap.

Tree,

What we do know is it looks very suspicious. She sure seems to be saying one thing, and then not following through. Given the strokes RSE has received in that paper, it's certainly fair to suspect their motives.


She attended the gathering ? Maybe that will open her eyes to even more than she thought she knew. Plus, she'll hear it from a number of people.

We'll see what happens after the event. If this doesn't convince her to publish something, she's probably not going to. What about her editor ? Or another journalist there ? Why does it have to be her, is what I wonder ? If she's afraid of it, or if JZ's money has stalled them, will prove itself out as more of the same.

Nothing.

Maybe a letter to the editor ?