From: Subject: Date: To: Brendan Montague brendan@desmog.uk Re: ICCC-10 media credentials 9 June 2015 09:06 Jim Lakely JLakely@heartland.org Jim, Thank you for your email. You may recall that Heartland Institute initially refused by credentials before the Vegas conference last year, but fortunately arrived at a better decision before proceedings began. I understand you to be a man of principal who believes he is acting in good faith and in the public interest. The primary principal of the Heartland Institute is freedom, and that has to include the freedom of the press. This Tweet is evidence of that: https://twitter.com/HeartlandInst/status/606132603842871298 Principals are not something you can apply only when it suits you, but are indeed only truly observed when it means doing something you may otherwise wish not to. You cannot extend freedom only to people you might like, or people you agree with. This is no different to political censorship, cronyism and corruption. The Heartland Institute if it believes in freedom at all must grant me my freedom to go about my professional business as a journalist, including allowing me to attend your conference. I may not share your values but I do understand that central to your argument is the fact that I should be able to sell my product - in my case reporting - freely on the open market. Moreover, the Heartland Institute claims to believe in a free market in ideas. In this case, I should be able to present my observations, my views and my opinions freely and without restraint. You are afforded the same freedoms and then whoever has the best ideas, and can win an open debate, will make a difference. I can understand that because our views are different on issues which are of critical importance to you - the free market being the central concept - it can seem like there is no up-side to allowing me to attend your conference. I can tell you honestly that the reason I wish to attend is to engage with your speakers and attendees in open and friendly debate, to learn more about your work, and to test my own believes and opinions. I am a professional journalist of almost 20 years standing, during which time I have been a member of the National Union of Journalists. I am recognised as a professional journalist by the British police and therefore granted access where the public are often denied. I am in Washington DC and obviously I am free to attend the hotel and speak to delegates as they go about their business. If I simply wanted to cause the Heartland Institute harm then I could just make a big noise about how a think tank which so regularly and robustly argues for freedom resorts to political censorship against the mildest and quietest criticism. I think this would be very damaging to Heartland among its own support base. But this is not what I actually wish to do. I ask that you reconsider your decision and allow me to attend meetings and observe your conference. This will in fact make it easier for you to identify me as a journalist to your speakers and attendees so that they may consider what they say accordingly. I very much look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Brendan Montague Editor DeSmog UK On 3 Jun 2015, at 11:29, Jim Lakely wrote: Brendan and Kyla, Your request for media credentials for Heartland’s climate conference has been denied. Jim Lakely Director of Communications The Heartland Institute One South Wacker Drive #2740 Chicago, IL 60606 o: 312.377.4000 f: 312.377-5000 c: 312-731-9364 Twitter: @HeartlandInst