What the Media Aren't Telling You About American Protests

[marmar]

Published on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 by OpenSalon.com
What the Media Aren't Telling You About American Protests

by Lisa Romero


I am lately reminded of an assignment when my metro editor sent me to cover a “gentle protest” over the Gulf War of the 1990s in Jackson, Mich. (Don’t remember that war – or what it was about? That’s OK – because it was probably “security” and “oil,” and George W. ultimately righted his dad’s failure to see that war action through to its completion: killing Saddam Hussein, or at least dismantling his government. But I digress.)

It was an after-hours event, likely on a weekend (as that was my beat). And when I arrived at the designated time, well after sundown, I found one lone woman walking the length of a wall at an armory or similar government-type outpost with, not a flashlight, but a real, flickering candle. Back and forth, in the dark, trudging in the snow.

No one else had shown up – except me, that is. The place was deserted and, as I recall, not on a busy road. I actually had to drive by twice before I even saw her candle and a small chair she set up for herself when she got tired. It occurred to me that, if I walked away, it would have been the same as if she’d never been there at all. Yet, incontrovertibly, there she was: protesting a war that, at the time, no one was particularly riled up about. It wasn’t a story, really.

But I decided to speak with her anyway. I walked with her for about an hour and asked questions. Apart from understanding that my editors expected my story for the next day’s edition, I also sensed that there could be a story to tell – and that, if I didn’t, no one might ever consider an opposing view that, while solitary, might be worth listening to. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/09/27-2

[EFerrari]

1. K&R

[ShockediSay]

2. This is about 'Occupy Wall Street,' people. Jon Stewart where are you

when we need you?

This is about how the Top Two Percenters are screwing 98% of us and US being powerless to stop this step toward Fascism.

remember what the 20th Century taught us

Right Wing
Super Wealthy Funded
Corporation
Controlled
Media
Propaganda Pumping, Organized and Repitious
with Scapegoating
and Union Busting
=Fascist Regime

[Matariki]

5. No. This is about us NOT being powerless.

[FirstLight]

3. How true...

we had a important city council meeting here a couple weeks ago I covered - 200+ people came to protest....and there was a man escorted out by the chief of police... my editor went ballistic. He says "is this what we've come to, can't even speak at a council meeting...?" I will be doing the follow up on that man and the reason he was treated so badly...

[KurtNYC]

4. WHY the old media isn't telling you about Occupy Wall Street

1. Because old media views coverage of such things as 'siding with the protestors' -- something the owners don't do.
2. Because nothing new has happened, until the 80 arrests
3. Because there is no craft services truck or portajohns
4. Because they can't tell 800 different stories or points of view. There are Tea Party people next to Anarchists next to a guy with a sign in mandarin, next to peace activists next to signs about Troy Davis next to a hacky sack game, and topless women... Television like to boil things down and put them in a little box and tell you how to feel about them. But this is big messy democracy and 'what democracy looks like' will not be televised mostly because it won't fit inside the box.

'When will the old media do their job? '
A: Never. Now you can stop waiting.

[Overseas]

6. K&R.

[me b zola]

7. K&R

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. Uh, anything at all? nt

[justiceischeap]

9. This reminds me of how Egypt state TV totally ignored the

protests in their country. When Twitter kept #OccupyWallStreet off of trending topics, it reminds me how in Egypt they turned off the Internet so word of the growing revolution couldn't get out. The fact that only Al Jazeera & Guardian UK seems to be doing any reporting on it also has a similar parallel.

Just what is the media/our government afraid of?