Robert Greenwald and the crew at Brave New Films released a new short video today, “Fox Attacks-Michelle Obama.” It’s got some real cringe-inducing moments from those oh-so-lovely Fauxers–Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity, etc…
Watch the video and sign the petition. If you have a digg account, “digg it,” as well. BNF has been one of the most successful track records in virally spreading their video clips around (also doesn’t hurt that they partner with the likes of Huffington Post, MoveOn and AlterNet to raise awareness of their productions.)
These social networking tools are flowing faster than I can learn them! Today’s craze among my cohort is a new browser called Flock; I’m using it right now to post to the BTE blog. Last week’s was FriendFeed; next on the docket is called “Pipes.” How many different ways can I slice and dice my media and my friends’ recommendations before I lose my mind?
Journalists and PR professionals, the influence brokers of traditional media, have lost a huge degree of influence on the web in large part because they don’t link to anything. While traditional media brands are still powerful channels on the web, they are losing influence everyday to the link-driven web network — journalists and PR professionals can no longer depend on controlling these former monopoly channels to exert influence online.
What makes you influential? Having a big network that’s interested in the same things you are. Not rocket science, really
Check out this month’s In These Times for my editorial contrasting this year’s YearlyKos conference to the recent Journalism That Matters gathering in DC. A snippet:
The bloggers and readers at the YearlyKos conference don’t all agree on politics or tactics—their approaches range from investigative journalism to rhetorical Molotov-throwing. They don’t always know if they’re practicing journalism—and don’t care. They do know that the public demands accountability and truth-telling from media and government alike.
We want badly to identify with those we hope to emulate, while simultaneously rejecting them for their obvious artifice. Dissatisfaction with the star system then drives viewers to seek their own spotlight. Attention is the currency that powers the new economy; why should it all accrue to those freaks and strivers currently celebrated as stars? To the barricades—better yet, to the camcorders!
a short monthly column on media and politics that Tracy and I coauthored for In These Times:
TxtPower
Wondering what tools progressives can use to increase political engagement in ’06? Check your pocket. The Pew Research Center for The People & The Press reports that 66 percent of American adults now have cell phones, and 32 percent of those between 18 and 29 say they “couldn’t live†without them.
According to MobileActive.org, a group that tracks cell-phone activism around the globe, “Mobile phones have emerged as a campaign organizing tool across traditional socio-economic and cultural boundaries.†Callers have used text-messaging to sign petitions, coordinate seemingly spontaneous gatherings (known as “smartmobsâ€) and engage in citizen journalism. In San Francisco, Mobilevoter.org is working with the Chinese American Voter Education Committee to launch a cell-phone assisted voter registration drive, And FrontlineSMS.com helps NGOs reach out to targeted communities in developing countries. Check out the Mobile Messaging Awards at 160characters.org in late May for a glimpse at emerging text message applications.
Our So-Called News
Just when you thought television news couldn’t get any worse, information has surfaced that there’s a good chance you haven’t been watching the news at all.
The Center for Media and Democracy has identified 77 television newsrooms over a ten-month period that have broadcast Video News Releases (VNRs) produced by such corporate types as General Motors, Intel, Pfizer and Capital One—without disclosure to the viewers.
According to the group’s report, “In each case, these 77 television stations actively disguised the sponsored content to make it appear to be their own reporting. In almost all cases, stations failed to balance the clients’ messages with independently-gathered footage or basic journalistic research.†Combined, these 77 television stations reach more than half the U.S. population.
In an effort to clamp down on fake news, the media reform organization Free Press has started an online petition to demand that the Federal Communications Commission strengthen disclosure requirements and penalize news outlets that violates such regulations. To sign the petition, go to http://action.freepress.net/campaign/fakenews. To read the full report, go to www.prwatch.org/fakenews/execsummary.
