The same corporate media that will rush to cover the latest burp from Tea Party protesters seem strikingly uninterested in demonstrators camped out in Manhattan’s financial district, protesting the corporate takeover of U.S. politics. Please see FAIR’s latest Action Alert (9/22/11) to call on the broadcast TV networks to pay attention to this activism.
You can use the comments thread for this blog post to leave copies of your messages to the networks or to comment on the alert.
Dear People,
Why are you not covering the demonstrations on Wall Street?
What is not so interesting about it, especially compared to the way you cover the tiniest little Tea Party event?
What sort of bias is being manifested here?
This bias makes it so much less likely that I feel I actually get news from your news shows.
Please assign some in-depth coverage!
Sincerely,
David Stone
I had already written to PBS and CBS about their lack of coverage of the Wall St. demonstrations, but today you motivated me to write the following to NBC, and a similar email to ABC.
You folks are making a heroine out of me. My friends, who watch Channel 3 nighty news, didn’t know anything about the protests that have been going on since Sept. 17 on Wall Street. I have told them before that if they really want to know what is going on these days, they should just look at Truthout.org or Common Dreams.org or Reader Supported News on their computers. Now they believe me. Thank you for helping me prove to them that they no longer need TV news. Helen N. Hanna
Dear (News organizations), I’m curious as to why you have apparently given no coverage to the protests going on on and around Wall Street. You give coverage to Tea Party protests…should these protestors call themselves Tea Partiers to get your attention?
Sincerely
Pete Marshall
I am concerned that there is so little news coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests by your news teams. I would like to know more about the protests. Please cover them.
PBS News Hour
NBC Nightly News
CBS Evening News
Dear News Organizations,
In an action called Occupy Wall Street, thousands of activists took to the streets of Lower Manhattan on September 17/11.
The protests are continuing, with demonstrators camped out on the Financial District’s Liberty Street in support of U.S. democratization and against corporate domination of politics.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS:
Why you have decided to give little to no coverage to the Occupy Wall Street protests– especially given your interest in Tea Party demonstrations?
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Wandering Citizen
Dear CBS News,
Over the past week thousands of activists have been protesting on Wall Street, and we have not heard a word about it from CBS News. Decades ago you could be counted on to honestly and with integrity to tell us “That’s the way it is”, and that’s the way it was. I am so disappointed that you have become such a part of the problem in America. There is no more 4th Branch – the days of William Paley are over.
Shame on you, CBS. Please take back the dignity and credibility you once most rightly had, and report what’s really going on in our country and world, instead of what the corporate mandates for coverage are.
By the way, one the finest, proudest moments of my career was working with CBS News back when you were really something. It just breaks my heart.
Sincerely,
Pamela Lopez
I was very troubled to see NBC’s lack of coverage of thousands of people occupying Wall Street. If this had been a Tea Party demonstration I’m sure it would have been a top story. NBC has covered Tea Party actions that only drew dozens of people.
It is particularly disturbing as the Wall Street demonstrators represent the “other 99%” of the population- those of us without lobbyists or power in Washington. When the media also ignores the voice of the people, democracy is imperiled.
We will be watching future coverage closely. By not covering real grassroots movements like this one, NBC risks becoming irrelevant. Online, alternative media will take its place.
Where is the coverage of the protest on Wall St.? What are we, a third world nation where the rulers censor what is broadcast? You can bet your life if the Tea Party was occupying Wall St. there would be media coverage all over the place. You call yourselves reporters? Where is the reporting? I had to read The Guardian from the UK to find out about the protest in my own country. You should all be ashamed.
Sharri LaPierre
Vancouver, WA
I sent the following to the organizations listed in the email:
In an action called Occupy Wall Street, thousands of activists took to the streets of Lower Manhattan on September 17. The protests are continuing, with demonstrators camped out on the Financial District’s Liberty Street in support of U.S. democratization and against corporate domination of politics.
Why are you not covering this? If half of that number of “Teapartiers” show up to air their opinions, they get all kinds of coverage. How is it that Wall St. is occupied for a week, and not one report is aired?
I sent the following note to all four television outlets:
Hello. I fail to understand why you give so much coverage to everything the Tea Party people carry out, and yet have given the people protesting on Wall Street such short shrift. You should be doing more to earn being thought of as impartial journalists.
Jary Stavely
I sent the following note to all four television outlets:
I would like more coverage of the Wall Street protests. Why they are protesting, and why they are being arrested.
Why do the Tea Party protests garner more news coverage than much larger protests like Wall Street?
There will be another protest Oct 6 in Washington DC’s Peace Plaza to address our dysfunctional house and senate. It would be valuable coverage, if it were covered.
Best regards, Butch Blawd
68 and retired
Minneapolis, MN
Sirs,
I’m writing to question why your nightly news is ignoring the actions around the occupation of Wall Street which is a major event. It is curious that you cover Tea Party events but ignore the actions from the occupiers of Wall Street.
Respectfully,
Aliza Keddem
36 NE 76 Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
503 257-1885
I find in unconscionable that PBS would not cover the ongoing protest occurring on Wall Street. After the market catastrophe of 2008 and the inadequate measures to re-regulate Wall Street profiteering an organized protest of this magnitude lasting this long is definitely newsworthy. Are we still living in a democratic society? Does PBS still represent free speech and the public interest? I am becoming doubtful of the integrity of your network when you ignore important news that the general public needs to be made aware of.
I expect coverage that includes in depth interviews of people who are objecting to the corporatization of this country, engaged in this protest, as well as clear comprehensive analysis of the relationship of Wall Street de-regulation to present economic realities for ordinary Americans, not corporate executives who do not represent the majority of this country’s citizens. I rely on PBS for good judgment. I hope you will exercise it here and report with courage what people in this country are truly fighting against.
I look forward to you addressing this obvious oversight and I expect a full report not a soundbite on what is real news in America.
Thank you.
Jodi Peterson
Bloomington, MN
There appears to be a deliberate attempt by major news outlets to withhold
news/reporting of the fairly substantial, on-going protest — “Occupy Wall Street!”
Most of America remains oblivious to the fact this demonstration has been going on
for days. Worse, they have not been told the “who, what, where, and why” of this action!
They do not understand these activists are fighting to protect the interests – and
security – of the American workers. The broadcast media has universally FAILED to
fully inform the American Public that continuing economic crisis and all its ramifications
threatening the American – and world – economy, rests wholly at the feet of the Wall
Street Banksters and Financial Services…especially Goldman-Sachs.
The very same broadcast media seems ever-ready to deploy [excessive] resources to
cover any handful of Tea-baggers ranting cluelessly about debt and spending as they
seek to dismantle responsible government…and then saturate the screen 24/7 with the
sad plight of these pathological patriots…
I strongly urge ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and all their affiliates to initiate full and
comprehensive coverage of “Occupy Wall Street!”
Thank You for your attention…
Dear Corporate News Media:
For the last week, I have been doing YOUR JOB. I scour the “internets” for the latest firsthand reports and videos from the OccupyWallStreet protest, package them into a newsletter format, and send them to my friends and family. I wouldn’t have to do that if YOU were doing your job. But this is nothing new. The US corporate media today is a joke. If there’s one thing that’s reliable about you all, it’s that you can be counted on to minimize, ridicule or outright censor anything from the left that involves speaking truth to power, or challenging the corporate corruption in this country.
Apparently 30 years of gaming the refs by the right in this country has paid off. Is it too much to ask you to cover the REAL grassroots protest occurring every day on Wall Street with the same vigor that you cover every single astroturf tea bagger protest? Or do we need to get the Koch brothers funding our protest too before that happens?
Why no coverage of the “Occupy Wall Street” protests?
Why has your news given little or no coverage to the “Occupy Wall Street” protests? These are certainly as important as similar protests going on in Spain or Greece, yet your reporters are ignoring them. This would be what I’d expect from FOX, but not from any serious news organization.
I’m Irish-American, ex-USMC, 65 years old, and my job hours have been cut from 40 to 30 to 20 per week. Maybe your network isn’t interested in that demographic, but I think I’m a pretty average American, and I’m way more interested in knowing about critiques of Wall Street and the bankstas, than in hearing more hyperinflated fluff about airheads like Sarah Palin, or anything at all about the rants of Tea-Partyers.
Get your priorities straight, or I – and my friends and family – won’t be watching any of your broadcasts any more – and we’ll be telling your advertisers that, via every social media that there is.
R. Patch
Oakland, CA
To whom it may concern:
I am really angry. I just heard that thousands of Americans, other than teapartiers, have been protesting at banks and wall street for the last 6 days and, as a matter of fact, at local banks here in California, and not one word from your station covering these events. Are you trying to make America think that the only view out there is the teapartys? This feels like brainwashing. How depressing is that and shame on you and your station for not doing your job. You are supposed to be unbiased.
Janelle Himmel
I sent this to all the News Media organizations:
WHY did you ignore the â┚¬Ã…“Occupy Wall Streetâ┚¬Ã‚ protests on Saturday, September 17th and days following? WHY was this not news? WHY is it that Tea Party protests and rallies are reported on, with little or no hesitation.
I guess if people against Wall Street’s influence in our government want any kind of coverage or recognition, they should pass themselves off as Tea Partiers and then I’ll bet ALL the media would be there in big numbers. Your little or non-coverage of this event speaks volumes about your credibility as a â┚¬Ã…“newsâ┚¬Ã‚ program, in my opinion.
Joanne
Oceanside, CA 92056
To the Editors,
I am extremely disappointed at the lack of coverage being given to the protest taking place for the last five days in the financial district in Manhattan. While the corporate broadcasters may have other agendas in choosing editorial coverage, I hold the News Hour to a higher standard.
During a week when the census figures report more poverty than ever before in America, it is shameful that a protest in the name of economic justice is being flatly ignored in the heart of wealth-making territory. Do these folks have to start carrying around flatware and condiments and adopting the persona of revolutionary patriots in order to be given a hearing?
They, like the brave workers in Wisconsin, are the voices of forgotten Americans everywhere. You have a duty to give these citizens and their supporters a hearing so that we may all join our voices with theirs.
I sent the following email to CBS, NBC, PBS, and I put it in the ABC Form:
“Why isn’t PBS (CBS, NBC, ABC) covering the actions of thousands of persons at Occupy Wall
Street in NYC ??? If they were The Tea Party you would be there. The
airwaves belong to “we the people”. There use is a matter of the Public’s
Trust.. don’t betray that trust.. inform the public.”
Thank you!
Athena B. Melville
hermes@pacific.net
Hmm Very interesting. You, mainstream media, cover the official governmental lynching of an innocent African-American man in Georgia, but when people criticize Wall St. in NYC, it’s not covered by you, the mainstream media.
At least the NY Times had a photo of Liberty Sq.’s encampment.
For the last 10 or so years, I get news from The Nation, BBC, The Guardian (UK), Reuters, Democracy Now, Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) and Keith Olbermann, now on his own show. And also from Buzzflash, Common Dreams and Alternet.
It’s funny, I’d think that the owners of soap detergent corporations would want to encourage more consumer spending, and more TV watching. Instead, the people who are demonstrating and camping out for six days in front of Wall St, who are saying something is very wrong with this economy, with the banks forcing foreclosures, with the huge salaries and bonuses at Goldman Sachs; these protesters are shut out, censored, ignored.
Don’t the owners of soap detergent corporations want the homeowners to buy their detergents for their washing machines? Some of them are now homeless. Don’t we all want to improve the employment situation? Don’t we want people to stay in their homes?
Does the race for profits blind the CEOs? It feels like they are similar to the French aristocrats before the French revolution. They are saying, if they don’t have bread, let them eat croissants. Well they can’t. People are starving.
We want real news, the a Fox-fication of news.
Thank you for listening.
Correction:
The last sentence should say.
We want real news, not the Fox-ification of news.
Dear Sirs,
I am deeply disturbed that you give detailed coverage of Tea Party protests, but make little mention of the ongoing protests of the Wall Street protests. I expect you will be fair in your coverage and give equal coverage of the ongoing protests of the Wall Street takeover of politics. How can our public be informed if you do not give them the information needed to makeup their minds about what is going on?
Sincerely yours,
Peter Robinson
Camp Verde, Arizona
Here is a comment that I made on the feedback form for ABC news:
Dear Sirs,
I am deeply disturbed that you give detailed coverage of Tea Party protests, but make little mention of the ongoing protests on Wall Street. I expect you will be fair in your coverage and give equal coverage of the ongoing protests of the Wall Street takeover of politics. How can our public be informed if you do not give them the information needed to makeup their minds about what is going on?
Sincerely yours,
Peter Robinson
Camp Verde, Arizona
Here is what I wrote to PBS:
Dear Sirs,
I am deeply disturbed that you give detailed coverage of Tea Party protests, but make little mention of the ongoing protests on Wall Street. I expect you will be fair in your coverage and give equal coverage of the ongoing protests of the Wall Street takeover of politics. How can our public be informed if you do not give them the information needed to makeup their minds about what is going on?
Sincerely yours,
Peter Robinson
Camp Verde, Arizona
Why withhold news of the “Occupy Wall Street” protests when they are more important and relevant to us than protests going on in Spain, Greece or elsewhere in the world? Please tell the who, what, where and why of these and other protests in the USA as well as the reasons for arrests.
We expect bias and lack of coverage from FOX, but not from a serious news organization. Why do anti-government Tea Party and people like Sara Palin get so much coverage and anything that questions corporate actions is ignored? Does this have anything to do with advertising revenue? Is that why BBC can talk about it?
By your omissions and imbalance you risk becoming irrelevant and losing your audience and therefore your advertisers!!!
Sue and Dave Jantz
Where is your patriotism? Why are you hiding the protests on wall street. Are you some foreigner who hates our freedoms as you are destroying them. I will no longer have anything to do with your communist station and will be starting a site to boycott all of your advertisers. I mean what kind of news station does such a thing to their own countrymen?
I contacted CBS Interactive and the editor responded with this link to show that they had covered the protests.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/19/national/main20108397.shtml?tag=mncol;lst;2
Unsurprisingly, and sadly, one has to go to independent, foreign, or satirical shows like the Colbert Report for information concerning the Wall St. protests. Perhaps now with the police pepper spraying nonviolent protestors networks will start to cover a protest larger than anything Tea Partiers could muster? You could prove me wrong, but I won’t hold my breath.
Daniel Johnson
Binghamton, NY
how can cbs say they covered the story when they did one piece on a protest that is in it’s 2nd week and many protesters have actually been there day and night the whole time….sleeping on the street in sleeping bags…..people would want to know the continuing coverage
What if the Tea Party occupied Wall Street? Would you be there as well? Why are you not covering the ongoing occupation of Wall Street? Because you are owned by the corporate thugs being protested there? You are loosing market share because you do not cover the news. You have failed us so many times. With proper media coverage we would not be at war in Iraq. We would have healthcare for all. We would not have the ongoing economic woes that we have. 80% of the people polled in favor of increasing taxes on the rich to cover the deficit. Have you covered that? Every hour on the hour? The mortgage derivative bubble and the ongoing fraud perpetrated by banks on foreclosure victims…you on that? How about a real discussion of Global Warming that doesn’t feature oil industry hacks as real scientists? How about the death of Troy Davis in Georgia? You are making yourselves irrelevant.
Good luck and God Bless.
You know, it is a sad day for free speech and for America when thousands of people “Occupy Wall Street,” and it is hardly covered.
Why are they there? To protest the corporate take-over of our economy and our system of government. Corporations are not…”We, the People.”
Those thousands who actually camped in Wall Street? Those are THE PEOPLE. And we are really sick of power being sucked out of our hands by millionaires, billionaires and CEOs and their corporations. The biggest mistake ever made by the Supreme Court was to proclaim “personhood” for corporations which consist of nothing but paper and ink and power….not flesh and blood.
One living-breathing person = one vote. That is what the constitution says.
But when the means of communication are monopolized by advertisements for products no one wants, and slanted corporate ‘blurbs’ instead of news…I believe THE PEOPLE won’t stand for it and will change it.
No one is covering this? Not even Huffington Post, a rag that I actually respected until now.
Free press means nothing any more. You are third rate wanna-be fiction writers and out-of-work, B-movie stars posing as reporters for media corporations that have abandoned every principle and standard the ostensibly free press once stood for.
You should be ashamed of yourselves. Someone has to die before you come out from the safety of your rat holes. You have no business calling yourselves reporters. You have no business calling what you do news. Shame. Shame. Shame on you all. Bought and paid for by Wall St. financiers.
“The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later, is the people versus the banks.” ~ Lord Action (1934-1902)
Has FAIR noted the coverage by the local PBS station, WNET, in particular from its new MetroFocus team?
See John Farley’s “Observations of a Jailed Journalist” (http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/news/2011/09/observations-of-a-jailed-journalist/).
Please correct the link to: http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/news/2011/09/observations-of-a-jailed-journalist/
i don’t c wat u people dnt get…the same corporate reptiles who have been running the white house ever since they took control of the federal reserve controll the media…we need to wake up…im in africa and i knoe that shitttt