{"id":27587,"date":"2013-06-16T00:21:10","date_gmt":"2013-06-16T00:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alternativejonestown.com\/?page_id=27587"},"modified":"2014-04-02T00:41:17","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T00:41:17","slug":"q797","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=27587","title":{"rendered":"Q797 Transcript"},"content":{"rendered":"

This tape was transcribed by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

To return to the Tape Index, click here.<\/a> Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1<\/a>, Pt. 2<\/a>).
\nTo read the Tape Summary, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(tape begins with inaudible newscast)<\/p>\n

(tape continues with several news stories unrelated to Peoples Temple, up to break for ad)<\/p>\n

(tape edit)<\/p>\n

Newscaster:<\/strong> Continuing with local news. After a session late last week with the editorial staff of the San Francisco Examiner<\/em>, Reverend Jim Jones of the Peoples Temple church in Redwood Valley was promised a favorable article in Sunday\u2019s paper. Reverend Jones is somewhat less than satisfied with that article. I asked him to bring us up to date on the matter.<\/p>\n

(taped interview) \u00a0I was uh, interested to\u2013 to learn from you uh, just uh\u2013 you know, the latest up-to-date information, uh, where we stand in regard to all this adverse publicity you were getting in, uh, the San Francisco papers.<\/p>\n

Jones:<\/strong> Media in general has uh, improved the situation, (unintelligible phrase) coverage on uh, the network stations, CBS, (unintelligible word) the news. It was a fair presentation of the paranormal aspects that uh, had gotten into the papers, and uh, our humanistic efforts, uh, missionary service to our fellow man\u2019s been mentioned. People in general have come out very<\/em> supportive. It\u2019s encouraging to see people grasp a uh, significance that\u2019s there more than involved\u2013\u00a0there\u2019s more involved than just uh, one church here. It\u2019s the right of uh, lawful assembly. Freedom of religion seems to be very much<\/em> at stake here, and there\u2019s been some very peculiar aspects to this entire situation. Uh, we\u2019ve had, for instance, a couple of break-ins, one into uh, a church attorney\u2019s home that was reported, uh, Mr. [Eugene] Chaikin, in which papers<\/em> were gone through, books<\/em> were ran\u2013\u00a0seemingly ransacked, and we don\u2019t<\/em> know that this absolutely connected by any means. But it\u2019s\u2013 it\u2019s been a strange type of harassment. Telephones, and so forth, certainly not been (unintelligible word). It\u2019s now begun to cool down due to responsible media, and uh, the Examiner <\/em>has printed an article that was not to our satisfaction. There\u2019s still negotiation about a human service<\/em> uh, uh, article that uh, was supposed to appear Sunday, but it hasn\u2019t appeared yet. There have been two (unintelligible word) letters to the editor of the Examiner <\/em>from people, non-members, I don\u2019t remember what communities they were from, one I think from Ukiah, Ukiah businessman. Generally speaking, I\u2013 I think things are looking up.<\/p>\n

Newscaster:<\/strong> You spent some time uh, with attorneys in San Francisco, uh\u2013 Has there been any decision regarding a possible libel suit?<\/p>\n

Jones:<\/strong> No, there hasn\u2019t, uh, not at this time. We are weighing<\/em> what course of action to take. The\u2013\u00a0The Christian ethic speaks rather strongly<\/em> about suits. I\u2019ve never been sued, nor have I engaged<\/em> in a suit. But there\u2019s another aspect to this case that gives me great consternation. That\u2019s freedom of religion. Uh, there has been I think an infringement upon a decent<\/em> group of people. We have bothered no one. We\u2019re guilty of none of these charges that\u2019ve been made, and if it would<\/em> perhaps encourage some of the reporters to be more responsible<\/em> in the future, that is, not to hurt others<\/em>, then uh, I might consider it. We have some time really to decide on this matter. Uh, I would prefer<\/em> that we could communicate<\/em> with these people uh, who have conveyed these false reports. I do not hope<\/em> to communicate with people who make abdications and false allegations, but if we could uh, resolve it with the communications media, that\u2019s the one media that has been involved, I would prefer doing this. I do<\/em> say that every group, every church should be concerned<\/em> about this, because there\u2019s no end<\/em> to a thing like this, the type of climate of fear and uh, distrust and prejudice can attack anyone. Who (unintelligible word)?<\/p>\n

(Pause)<\/p>\n

Newscaster:<\/strong> Reverend Jim Jones of Peoples Temple Church in Redwood Valley.<\/p>\n

(unrelated story)<\/p>\n

(tape edit, followed for moment of tape noise)<\/p>\n

(end of side 1)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

(side 2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(tape opens with several ads, news stories unrelated to Peoples Temple,\u00a0 and tape edits)<\/p>\n

Newscaster:<\/strong> \u2013are still investigating (tape edit) the Peoples Temple church in Redwood Valley was promised a favorable article in Sunday\u2019s paper. Reverend Jones is somewhat less than satisfied with that article. This morning, I asked him to bring us up to date on the matter.<\/p>\n

(taped interview) Uh, Jim, I was uh, interested to\u2013 to learn from you uh, just uh\u2013 you know, the latest up-to-date information, uh, where we stand in regard to all this adverse publicity you were getting in, uh, the San Francisco papers.<\/p>\n

Jones:<\/strong> Media in general has uh, improved the situation, (unintelligible phrase) coverage on uh, the network stations, CBS, (unintelligible word) the news. It was a fair presentation of the paranormal aspects that uh, had gotten into the papers, and uh, our humanistic efforts, uh, missionary service to our fellow man\u2019s been mentioned. People in general have come out very<\/em> supportive. It\u2019s encouraging to see people grasp a uh, significance that\u2019s there more than involved\u2013\u00a0there\u2019s more involved than just uh, one church here. It\u2019s the right of uh, lawful assembly. Freedom of religion seems to be very much<\/em> at stake here, and there\u2019s been some very peculiar aspects to this entire situation. Uh, we\u2019ve had, for instance, a couple of break-ins, one into uh, a church attorney\u2019s home that was reported, uh, Mr. [Eugene] Chaikin, in which papers<\/em> were gone through, books<\/em> were ran\u2013\u00a0seemingly ransacked, and we don\u2019t<\/em> know that this absolutely connected by any means. But it\u2019s\u2013 it\u2019s been a strange type of harassment. Telephones, and so forth, certainly not been (unintelligible word). It\u2019s now begun to cool down due to responsible media, and uh, the Examiner <\/em>has printed an article that was not to our satisfaction. There\u2019s still negotiation about a human service<\/em> uh, uh, article that uh, was supposed to appear Sunday, but it hasn\u2019t appeared yet. There have been two (unintelligible word) letters to the editor of the Examiner <\/em>from people, non-members, I don\u2019t remember what communities they were from, one I think from Ukiah, Ukiah businessman. Generally speaking, I\u2013 I think things are looking up.<\/p>\n

Newscaster:<\/strong> You spent some time uh, with attorneys in San Francisco, uh\u2013 Has there been any decision regarding a possible libel suit?<\/p>\n

Jones:<\/strong> No, there hasn\u2019t, uh, not at this time. We are weighing<\/em> what course of action to take. The\u2013\u00a0The Christian ethic speaks rather strongly<\/em> about suits. I\u2019ve never been sued, nor have I engaged<\/em> in a suit. But there\u2019s another aspect to this case that gives me great consternation. That\u2019s freedom of religion. Uh, there has been I think an infringement upon a decent<\/em> group of people. We have bothered no one. We\u2019re guilty of none of these charges that\u2019ve been made, and if it would<\/em> perhaps encourage some of the reporters to be more responsible<\/em> in the future, that is, not to hurt others<\/em>, then uh, I might consider it. We have some time really to decide on this matter. Uh, I would prefer<\/em> that we could communicate<\/em>\u2013<\/p>\n

(tape edit)<\/p>\n

Recorded music for balance of side 2<\/p>\n

End of tape<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tape originally posted January 2013<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This tape was transcribed by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you. To return to the Tape Index, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1, Pt. 2). To read the Tape Summary, click here. (tape begins with inaudible newscast) (tape continues with several news stories unrelated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":27291,"menu_order":539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-27587","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27587"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59662,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27587\/revisions\/59662"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}