MsNBC: "Isn't Occupy Wall Street more trouble than it's worth? Questions today about whether the movement needs to regroup after accusations that key Occupy sites have become a 'magnet for criminals and sex offenders.'" Thomas Roberts, MsNBC. This outrageous framing and some people say "journalism" continued through the 11:00 hour and right through his interview with the excellent Naomi Wolf. CALL THEM: 212-664-5222
This really is an urgent call to action. YOU can be the OWS media relations team. Not to be a spokesperson for OWS, but to keep the reporting about OWS factual, fair, and honest.
Yesterday, "journalists" devotedly parroted Mayor Bloomberg's official line about clearing Zuccotti Park, repeating unverified and apparently even uninvestigated claims of crime, disease, immanent public health dangers, etc. that --according to Mayor Bloomberg--required the immediate, no-notice, violent destruction of the encampment and personal belongings. This despite the fact that many reporters were RESTRAINED BY NYPD from actually seeing what was going on, and some were even arrested. Two news helicopters were prevented from taking off. (Other kos diaries and thousands of news stories covered the NYPD's interference with the "free" press. Just google.)
My question to the news organizations is, what are you going to DO about the NYPD interference? How can you report the official line, when you have not investigated and were prevented from first-hand reporting? How do you put it out, let alone expect people to swallow this?
It is simply not honest to refer to police in riot gear using batons to attack non-violent protestors who never fought back, as a "violent encounter between police and protestors!"
THIS diary is about how to PUSH BACK on the lazy, complacent, biased, safe and fearful coverage we are being handed by, frankly, a yellow-bellied modern journalism.
THIS diary calls you to SAVE our FOURTH ESTATE from the pale, diminished, comfortable-to-cowardly, corporate-owned "profession" that domestic news reporting has become ion the major news outlets.
Come ON now!
To my fellow kossacks I offer some tools, you can be the OWS media relations team. CALL the press. It DOES make a difference.
MAKE them do their JOB. Help save our Fourth Estate.
IF you are a member of the domestic news media, an editor, producer, journalism professor, or officer in an association that represents journalists, the intention of THIS diary is to make your life a little less comfortable. You can attack with the usual pap about "must report official statements" and how you have to "maintain close relationships with sources" but the public has less confidence in YOUR WORK than ever, and you really must look in the mirror and take responsibility for it. Frankly, we can't tell the difference any more between the rich Tv talking heads or marquis print reporters, and their sources.
I'm not alone in thinking the fourth estate no longer serves the public interest, but more often serving the interests of corporate owners. Just look at your campaign coverage. Under these conditions, how long do you think the public will support your special protections under the First Amendment? You don't appear to be protecting ours.
So, kossacks, call!
1. Be specific as to where and when you saw/heard/read bias, or errors, see lack of coverage of an event, or a false equivalence drawn between two positions, organizations, experts. This is the worst kind of journalistic laziness, all too common, and must be called out!
2. Yes, try to be polite, but there is no need to be obsequious. They need you and must listen to you.
Do NOT let defensive news people intimidate you--they are very thin-skinned. (e.g., an AP editor I called a couple of weeks ago about a serious error in their story, threatened me saying he might not be inclined to fix anything because I "accused them of bias." He quickly backed down when I called him on his attempt to INTIMIDATE a member of the community in favor of "facts" copied straight from a PRESS RELEASE.
3. Do leave messages on the public comment machine if you can't get to anyone more "important." Enough of those really do have an impact.
This list is just to get us started, because I believe this really is URGENT.
I'll update with email addresses.
PLEASE post contacts for other cities, especially where OWS coverage is not fair.
National Newsrooms
Associated Press NYC
212-621-1500
Ask for Bureau Chief Amanda Barrett
(Can also get contacts for bureaus and reporters in your city from the main operator)
AP Washington
202-641-9400
Dow Jones Newswire
212-426-2400
USA Today
Dennis Kelly, editor 703-854-6536
CNN Atlanta (national bureau)
404-827-1500
CNN
212-275-7800 NYC Bureau
Reuters
646-223-4000
Ask for Maureen Bavdek, NYC Desk Editor
646-223-6000 Newsroom Voicemail, follow prompts
MSNBC
212-664-5222
NPR national news desk
202-513-2420
Local NYC contacts:
LOCAL New York
NY Times Metro Desk
212-556-1533
NY Daily News City Desk
212-210-1585
NY Post
(212) 930 8500
WNBC-TV
212-664-2731
WCBS-TV
212-975-5867
WABC-TV
212-456-1114
New York 1
212-379-3311
WOR-TV/9
(201) 330 2215
WNYW-NY (FOX)
212-452-3808
WPIX-TV/11
212-210-2411
WNYC-AM & FM / NYC's NPR affiliate
newsroom@wnyc.org
646-829-4400 Patricia Willens, News Director
WOR-AM
212-642-4467
Fox and Friends
212-301-3800
WCBS-AM (All news radio)
212-975-5867
WINS-AM (All news radio)
212-315-7090