Forum Post: The official media is not a friend of OWS
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 6, 2011, 8:45 a.m. EST by loanslave
(19)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I was there last Saturday on the Bridge and hope to keep joining the protests. Not being able to be there yesterday, I watched the livefeed while simultaneous catching what the mainstream media was putting forth. While little bits of coverage was positive and truthful, plenty of it wasn't. That wouldn't matter if most of the American people went out of their way to find out for themselves. But they don't. They get fed what they know (and how to process it) by FOX, MSNBC, CNN, et al. They highly misrepresented many aspects of the movement. They aim to polarize and simplify something that is so much bigger and so much more bipartisan. But, that's what too many people want. Put it all in one box and then throw a crumb or shoot it down.
It matters what the media says or concocts about OWS - the mainstream media has the power to create reality. And they create false realities ALL the time. I fear that they will crush OWS by their misrepresentation. American media is owned by large corporations in the same way that our government is (look up who owns MSNBC, FOX, CNN, etc - you will find they are owned by large corporations that also have many other, and I argue, conflicting interests outside of news and reporting). They are biased and they intentionally and purposefully concoct false realities that will help them control the American people. It should be their duty to seek out (on behalf of the people) accurate and unbiased information.
I think that OWS needs to have a protest that also focuses on the media. We've let them off easy. And they need to understand that we will not allow them to distort or corrupt our messages.
As a way to drive the narrative, perhaps #OWS should have a YouTube channel (who doesn't use YouTube?) where its daily posting can explain what's what? At a minimum, periodic press releases? This is still pretty early in the game, but these actions could help proactively drive the narrative.
This is also where the sympathetic blogosphere can help fill the media "void."
Groobiecat
http://www.groobiecat.blogspot.com
Good idea, OWS can also look into creating it's own media and offering daily press releases or something like that. YouTube is an excellent way to distribute the videos made, also an upgraded and revamped forum and website, where issues and activities are displayed for all to see. The movement is still at a very seminal stage, no doubt these ideas will follow. Patience is a virtue, but thinking ahead is also useful. Cheers.
I agree. MUCH of the information the public has been given by MSM for decades has been controlled, twisted and full of b.s. People need to get RID of their cable teevee and stop getting their misinformation from the likes of the fear porn channels of C.N.N., FOX, and MSNBC ALL of them are blatant liars and they do not care. It's all about the advertising and corporate dollars for them. OWS needs to make them a target. Everyone out there in America Land is brainwashed by these corporate newz netwerks into buying what they are selling whether it's a new car or a potus they will buy into the acting done by barbie and ken on the nightly truth twisting sessions. I have not watched teevee in three years. If people could get out of their cable newz addiction they'd learn a lot..the truth..more of them would be in the streets. Mad as hell at how much they have been propagandized, manipulated and lied to.
I don't care if MSNBC is covering the protests regular and favorably. Its still corporate news, run in part NBC and Microsoft of all companies. Microsoft.(predatory company smashing people's dreams since 1985) They are just the same as the rest of them, don't let the media "good cop" "bad cop" you. This made up media fight is as real as the WWE. Don't take sides with the big media.
They will use this for their own ends. That said, be nice, fair, and truthful to ALL news agencies, even corporate news. Welcome them all from FOX to MSNBC, but try and get the word out YOURSELF. This movement will only succeed if it says grassroots.
Don't let MSNBC shout over the generally assembly. the GA is not allowed as much as an amplifier, but MSNBC reaches the world.
Also, is it striking suspicious that they seem to report on people with their mac laptops, and miss the FOSS freenetwork crew with their Ubuntu rigs?
Agreed, but some of the MSM has done us better than others. It took two weeks, but now MSNBC is covering OWS regularly and favorably. Lawrence O'Donnell and Chris Hayes in particular have been excellent. (Ed Schultz obviously has some hesitancy -- he is an old school union guy.) Compare with Fox News which predictably hates OWS and not surprisingly distorts its coverage.
yes this is a good idea,. a day to focus on the media (media relations day) could be very useful,.
The corporate media will always try to appeal to the basest irrational fear they can invent. The corporate banksters want you afraid,. this is why they beat and arrest activists, to dissuade more people from getting active. This is a tactic and they always use it,. we need to find ways to use their actions to expose and shame them!
Welcome to the Matrix --
You are not hitting a nerve unless they begin to attack you, call you racist, neonazi, whatever. It is extremely naive to expect them to do anything other than treat you with utter contempt.
Most people want their truth boxed up in bumper-sticker length bite-sized savory predigested chunks, and that's what they get.
In this country, we need a rule that, if you are a news organization, that's all you can be. You can't also be an oil company or military contractor, a computer mega-corporation, etc. News should be totally separate and independent from non-related corporate interests. It's clear to see that, without that, we can't have a truly free press or an unpolluted freedom of our speech.