watch this sink

[nadinbrzezinski]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024348780

By the way, you all might be interested in this from my blog

http://nadinabbottblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/why-we-get-media-memes-we-get/

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. We're lucky to get the confrontational meme sometimes.

Mass media has only 2 default memes for Occupy; Confrontation and Drum circle, pot smoking, Iphone using hipster. But what more could we expect from calcified institutions who only cover mass demonstrations when shamed into doing so by indy media.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I work for a local indie

and trust me, it is more complicated than that.

[sabrina 1]

3. Which is why Occupy was so brilliant in their planning stages. They had their own media. They

recorded every arrest, knowing there would be lies told and people abused etc. And when they got to court, due to those preparations, the lying cops were exposed, right on video and cases were dismissed. Had they relied on the MSM, even if such video existed it would never have been aired.

Also their legal teams, they deserve huge kudos for the time and effort they put in to be there with advice and to represent them when needed.

They used the Internet to get the story out all over the world. They did not rely on the MSM for anything. In fact, I was hoping the MSM would stay away, knowing the bias there would be in the reporting. And they did, for a few days and the world got an accurate accounting of what was happening. Once they did get involved, it was mostly to try to repair the damage, which they by using morons like the Goldman Sachs girl, Erin Brown whose purpose was so transparent, it became a joke as her ties to Wall St. were exposed.

[sabrina 1]

4. Interesting article on your blog, and some good points.

Sensationalism does sell, because the population is conditioned to it. I wonder how it sells in other countries, like Norway eg where the level of education is so much higher in general? Would people react just as much to articles about protesters feeding the homeless as they would to a photo showing conflict?

I can't answer that without knowing something about the media in other developed countries. Presentation is everything so maybe that aspect of media, how to present something that does not show conflict but is way more important, so that it gets the attention of the public ...

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Look at yellow press everywhere.

And conflict sells. It is a basic element in story telling. Whether I am telling a story with a camera, or a story with words.

Even that haunting picture of the Afghan girl that National Geographic ran a few years ago, the eyes are haunting and tell you things were not easy, ergo conflict. Another example of this is the photo of a Spanish civil war soldier getting shot. It is considered one of the top photos in the history of photo journalism.

Top Awards have Photogs from all over the world. The photos that tend to win accolades are of war zones or disasters.

Now, photo essays are done regularly of other aspects of movements, but usually those are done as essays.

[sabrina 1]

6. Yes, that is true, people are attracted to sensational stories.

The NYPD eg, did more to help get OWS media coverage when they maced those women than all the photos of people marching.

Maybe it's the presentation. In a way, anything that is news results from some kind of conflict.

Making a story personal, getting people involved with the subject on a personal level also works.

Being a good story teller is important. But most stories that probably should get more attention are often presented in a very 'professional' way. Eg, 'two OWS protesters were arrested and charged with terrorism'. That is not very interesting. But if the story begins with an introduction to the personalities, who they are, where they grew up etc. people are more likely to be interested, to feel as if they know them.

There are people still paying the price for their participation in OWS eg, but they have mostly been forgotten. Assigning a reporter to follow their stories, to keep them in the news, interview them etc, would help to ensure they are not forgotten. Once the public feels they know someone they are far more likely to remain interested, to want to know what is going on with them.

But most of the time these kinds of stories which are important get a blurb just presenting info on the arrest and all they are to the public is just another suspect.

It's hard because it takes time and effort and money to stay on a story like that. I am using it only as an example of stories that really should not be forgotten and how to get them more attention.

Anyhow, you got me thinking ....

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Since I do this now

It makes sense. It's also made me a far more intelligent media consumer.