CITIZEN JOURNALISM AT WORK

Mary Fox offers a report on two events and a commentary:

“After seeing the mention in your blog yesterday, I decided to catch as much as I could of the “Rebuilding Baghdad” panel discussion at NYU and then dash over to “Is There a New Blacklist” with Tariq Ali and Joseph Massod introduced by Amy Goodman at Cooper Union.

“I was a bit dumbfounded at the NYU event, having expected Ben Barber to sound halfway intelligent I found myself listening to some German architect discussing the rebuilding of Berlin post-WW2 (a lot of hideous modern buildings where wonderful Middle Ages-era structures used to be), and then Barber blathered about the lack of public spaces in privatized (American) suburbia and how Ipod-carrying pedestrians create private space even while walking along the public city streets, blah, blah.

“Altho lip service was paid to taking Iraqi sensibilities into account I was sitting there listening to four westerners discussing how to rebuild Iraq (while the war is still in full swing there, no less) with typical western colonialist arrogance. People in the Middle East have been creating gorgeous architecture since long before anyone in Europe, let alone America, erected anything larger than a tent.

“I had to leave after Barber spoke since the thing started late and I really wanted to get to the other event, but I would have liked to know if any of the panelists later recommended getting the American troops the hell out and giving the Iraqis the money to rebuild their own cities to their own tastes instead of lining the pockets of American corporations and contractors to do it our way. It didn’t sound like that was the way the presentation was going.

“At the ‘Blacklist’ event, Massod got a lot of applause - thankfully he is getting support from many students (he seems to be kind of enjoying himself in the midst of being targeted by the right wing even though he has more to lose than if he were tenured). Tariq Ali was electrifying as usual (I’ll get a chance to overdose on him at the Left Forum at CUNY this weekend) - he said something I hadn’t heard before, that just before going into Jenin to try to crush the Intifada (I forgot the year, 2002 maybe?), the Israeli government had made an actual policy decision that any criticism of their tactics in the world media would not be tolerated and would be met with accusations of anti-semitism to silence any debate (not that this accusation was anything new, but I hadn’t realized how systematic this had become).

“The effects of this effort can clearly be seen in ‘Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land’ which I had caught the night before in Nyack. It’s very well produced, unfortunately on that occasion it played to an audience that was, shall we say, not especially receptive (I had to leave before blowing my mouth off and getting into a fight with someone).

“The one thing I found bizarre in Ali’s talk was the notion that there might be a third Intifada if Sharon is allowed to run the so-called peace process into the ground - I’m not convinced the second Intifada ever ended - a few weeks of “relative calm” (meaning fewer Israelis are killed but many Palestinians continue to be killed) during an election held under occupation hardly qualifies as the end of anything. Unfortunately there was no time given for Q&A after these guys spoke.”

OFFICIAL BUY BACKS

Kevin Dunn writes from McAlester, Oklahoma:

“Have been getting your daily e-mail updates on the news and would just like to thank you for the great work you are doing. Plan to watch WMD sometime in the future.

“I would like to pass on one little bit of news from here in my home town, McAlester, OK. It appears that the city manager of my fair city had been ‘buying back’ his vacation time over the last several years, to the tune of around $500,000 dollars. The city council had approved his contract, but guess they didnt look at the fineprint. The local paper reported the story, resulting in the managers firing and also the resignation of the mayor. Citizens were rightly upset and collected signatures on a recall petition for two of the city councilors. The role of the city attorney was questionable, saying he had been hired by the city manager.

“In your travels around the country, have you ever heard of similar instances of officials “buying back” their leave? I believe the FBI is still investigating the matter. Just wanted to pass that on and to say I look forward to the daily dissections.”

Karen Yamada writes from Maui:

“Saw you on AKAKU last eve, your talk at MCC. (Maui Community College) Two dudes who seemed to really believe in your work gave you a great intro, called you the ‘real deal.’ Think you made an impact on Maui in a positive way.

“Thanks for minimizing the blather on the ‘royal’ matrimony thing. What a farce our news systems are! FOX took an interesting position by almost ridiculing the ‘royals’ because of their familial dysfunction over the years.”

ON OBJECTIVITY

cynthia scott writes:

“[Ted] Rall makes a good point about how journalists lean on labels to define groups of people or individual. But I would go even farther and question whether journalists are capable of being objective since language is itself subjective. Language is a tool in which we human beings communicate ideas and emotions. It’s individualized by our own personal perspectives. As Rall pointed out, one man’s insurgent is another man’s resistance fighter. But somewhere in between, journalists, who are supposed to be objective, must map out a roadmap of mediation between these two very different perspectives.

“They’re doing a lousy job, needless to say. I remember when Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane accident years ago, how reporters as disparate as Ted Koppel and Tim Russert referred to him as being an “unrepentent liberal.” Of course, this gives the impression that liberalism is a sin from which one must repent. Whether Koppel or Russert meant this is irrelevant to the fact that this is what they communicated to me what they feel about liberals, liberalisms and to a certain extent Sen. Wellstone himself.

If journalism will truly be as objective as the news media claims or wants it to be (at this point I’m still wondering how the American public benefits from objectivity, especially since the more journalists have taken a more centrist point of view in their reporting, the more untrustworty they’ve become to Americans), then perhaps editors and news directors should taken a more proactive and aggressive assault on any language that conveys subjectivity, such as modifiers (unrepentant),adverbs, etc. But I suspect that would create far drier writing, and, given the reality of the news business today, a lot less readable to the news consuming public. So the real question isn’t whether journalist should try to be come more objective, but whether objectivity is even possible? Or, for that matter, needed?”

ON CNN AND AIR AMERICA

J Panzell on CNN’s new President’s comment on progressives not being angry enough:

“Jonathan Klein of CNN should listen to Mike Malloy on Air America Radio and www.mikemalloy.com if he doesn’t believe Liberals and Progressives can’t get angry.

“BTW, Mr. Malloy is this year’s AIR (Achievement In Radio) award recipient, so he’s angry *and* interesting to listen to!

“Mr. Klein needs to get out more!”

SMOOCHING IN THE VATICAN

Ross Reiselman writes:

“Am I the only person astonished that President and Mrs. George W. Bush smooched during the funeral of Pope John Paul II?

“A two-page photo of world leaders attending the funeral, published in the April 18, 2005 issue of Newsweek shows the couple kissing on the lips. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the U.N., is seated immediately behind them.

“Had Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton showed such amazingly poor taste when he was president, the rabid right would have thrown a nationwide tantrum of epic proportions and would still be ranting about it today.”

ON OIL

Robert Johnson writes from Florida:

“In your story from al-jazeera the quote that makes me laugh is: “Speculation over the actual size of Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves is reaching fever pitch as a major bank says the kingdom’s and the world’s ? biggest field, Gharwar, is in irreversible decline.”

“Is this really a shock to anyone with a brain? Are there people who think that oil is a renewable resource? Of course, any field being pumped is in irreversible decline.

“When will the people on this little planet realize that it’s resources are never infinite (except for stupidity and cupidity perhaps). This is a very finite resource laden planet and life will be very poor indeed if we do not find replacement resources, husband the resources and recycle whatever we can.

It is hard to believe in a doom and gloom future when banks, media and people can be surprised that oil fields, copper veins, etc. etc. are in irreversible declines. WAKE UP!”

John Madison writes, “thanks for your hard work in bringing light to the cave. if you’re going to study peak oil then I suggest that you look into the whole debate. Dave Mcgowan has done a ton of work here and it needs to be scrutinized. I am sending part of one of his newsletters with the basic facts he has uncovered. if you want to really get into it go to his site and check out his free newsletters: http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/ ”

Wendy Meremark writes from Oregon City:

“(Damn you are good. Help us be better.)

“Maybe this makes “the Next Media Frenzy” your Monday (4/11) blog predicted would develop in this slow news, or what you saw as “so far, no new” week. It is astrology talk — a traditional media item — and it is prediction which comes “safely,” as you say.

“I was looking through a stack of astrology charts, (my 35-year collection). and noticed the terrorists are due again, (astrologers believe history goes in cycles), to strike America on April 24, 2005, which is Passover, in a couple of weeks. That’s my prediction.

“Sometimes I am mistaken about things I notice and other astrologers (or seers) could double-check my work on hearing this prediction going around; during a slow or no news calm-before-the-storm perhaps an item this small can go around.

“I did predict the first 9/11, (next time is 9/11 - II, eh?), calling it “a big explosion and fire, like an oil refinery.” But it was too late — only 24 hours ahead, I was too timid — only told my family, and I was too naive — media never reported what leaders had determined about Osama.

“The prediction situation is different this time. Everyone already knows ‘what if,’ the only thing now is to foretell ‘when.’

“Any terror attack on April 24 appears NOT to be explosion, fire, bullets, or bomb, but rather, something nonviolent. It’s a time in Taurus, often related to banking and money — might they close abruptly? or an all-out ATM hack, like in Ohio’s paperless voting machines?

“Reporting the date is spooky, (

"People who reject astrology and its 5000-year universal lore can ignore this like they treat it in their morning newspaper, just ... there it is. (Could TV use some?) Other people see something in it they choose. Today's fashion favoring the non-reasonable, (cited in the fine essay, "The End of Reason,” on Alternet), gives astrology equal unvalidated rights as any other faith-based conduct.

“Can’t we all just get it wrong? Media reporting future events wrong is hardly as bad as reporting past events wrong, which lately is almost media’s mission statement. ‘We say anything, you sort it out.’ What do other people think of this, (terror attack on 4/24)? Can we talk?, as Joan Rivers says.

“Should prediction move some people to get around to stocking up, and even if April 24 is wrong — that’s no harm. Perhaps even beneficial — imagining if TV started reporting it’s an Internet news trend.

“Since you know now that the self-serving corporate media hold back advance information they have, (Iran invasion in June? four dollar gas this summer? global warming?), the forecast void opens the way for Internet media channels to share the common sense of individual works and plans and visions toward the future. America cannot nurture and raise tomorrow’s leaders where all their information is out-dated, and all food for thought expired and past acting on. Leaders look ahead through dreams of the young and the scope of time, and see to show us what’s coming.

Steve writes:

“Hey Danny, Doug suggested I email you to bring attention to a recent blog of mine called “The War on ‘Insight’”

Here’s the URL:
http://coanews.org/tiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=108

ART POLICE

Art Exhibit Featuring Bush Stamp Probed

” CHICAGO - The Secret Service sent agents to investigate a college art gallery exhibit of mock postage stamps, one depicting President Bush with a gun pointed at his head.

“The exhibit, called “Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin,” opened last week at Columbia College in Chicago. It features stamps designed by 47 artists addressing issues such as the Roman Catholic sex abuse scandal, racism and the war in Iraq.

HERE TODAY….

That’s it from me for today. Sorry I am a bit late in posting but I was up late on the Joey Reynolds show on WOR Radio. He is a trip — a rare talk show host who lets you talk and speaks with a real honesty and sense of humor. Before that I was screening WMD for the NY Newswoman at the National Art Club and for students at John Jay college.

One event I am looking forward to: a screening and panel to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War at the Viet Galley at 345 Greenwich Street in Tribeca Saturday April 30 at 5 PM.

I won’t be here next week. I have been invited to Doha in Qatar to show WMD at the Al Jazeera film festival. That should be fascinating and I will have a full report if the jet lag doesn’t lag me.

Have a great weekend.

Comments welcome to dissector@mediachannel.org

MediaChannel is looking for a volunteer web designer and marketing/promotional help.