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'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

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Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#91

Post by phkahler »

formercoder wrote: post #40
zaroth wrote: post #19

The mainstream news reporting on Portland (and other regional rioting) got to the point where they were bald-faced lying about peaceful protests standing in front of burning buildings. The most charitable interpretation I can think of is that these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white. There can be a concept of “BLM”…

I’ve found that most people I speak to can’t accept that most issues are complex shades of gray. It’s all our team or their team based on whatever news channel they subscribe to. No one takes time to dig below the surface and think for themselves.

>> I’ve found that most people I speak to can’t accept that most issues are complex shades of gray.

My own speculation on that. Shades of gray take effort to understand, and may not have clean simple answers. People may be too lazy, or not confident in dealing with complexity, or not smart enough, or something else so they refuse to engage with it. What I find odd is that so many who avoid the subtlety and complexity are really eager to tout their lame one-sided opinions, even as the world is falling apart and demands better than that... or maybe because its falling apart?

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#92

Post by Anderkent »

ppf wrote: post #27
Fellshard wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And is there not a selection bias at play in a subreddit? People who don't follow the majority opinions of those on a subreddit are routinely hounded down and mass downvoted until they leave, seeing it's futile to try and converse there.

Of course there is, except I'm sure a lot of the people on that subreddit are also heavily involved in "protesting". There certainly is a selection bias at play in the general population of Portland, too ;) Edit: I also find it fascinating that the users of the Portland subreddit will shun or ban you if you are not actually in Portland, as I am sure that a lot of those folks strongly favour all immigration in general…

>I also find it fascinating that the users of the Portland subreddit will shun or ban you if you are not actually in Portland, as I am sure that a lot of those folks strongly favour all immigration in general

What's wrong with that? You can be in favour of immigration but still want to have a subreddit for people actually in the town. You're free to move to Portland and join.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#93

Post by kombucha111 »

zaroth wrote: post #19

The mainstream news reporting on Portland (and other regional rioting) got to the point where they were bald-faced lying about peaceful protests standing in front of burning buildings. The most charitable interpretation I can think of is that these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white. There can be a concept of “BLM”…

Honestly, the media is way off about the Portland protests. Take it from people on the ground: the picture painted by the media is largely wrong and mostly inadequate.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#94

Post by dalbasal »

zaroth wrote: post #19

The mainstream news reporting on Portland (and other regional rioting) got to the point where they were bald-faced lying about peaceful protests standing in front of burning buildings. The most charitable interpretation I can think of is that these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white. There can be a concept of “BLM”…

"these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white."

This is one of the main phenomenon of an issue becoming "political," or what Orwell called "nationalism" in a clunky-but-brilliant essay. It's a "with us or against us" dynamic. Every fact, opinion or take can only be an argument for or against a position.

When it's at peak (like now in the states), you get completely warped pictures. It's either peaceful protests vs brutal police and pro-trump militias or anarchist riots vs embattled police and law abiding patriots.

I think part of the problem here is that everyone is a belligerent. The media, the police, the protestors and (obviously) the government are all objects of protest, which makes them participants. The CNN siege in NY was a sharp example.

Another part of the issue is the typical modern leaderlessness of populist politics. Spokespersons usually moderate a position, establishing boundaries to consensus. This can take some of the edge off the "my side, your side" dynamic that more extreme actors benefit from.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#97

Post by Anderkent »

cwhiz wrote: post #66
Dahoon wrote: post #50

>But it's easy to understand why protesters use them: to shape the narrative the country sees about the protests. That is a very biased view. The reality is that photo and film is used to target people by the government even if you are at a peaceful protest (I'm not talking about rioters). Hence the hyperbolic "filming equals death" thing. Getting filmed or having your picture taken at a protest in the States is on t…

That’s some absurd hyperbole. Death? These people are scared of going to jail. They know they are breaking the law and they know if they get caught they could go to jail.

Right, no one ever died from being arrested by the police.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#98

Post by smitty1e »

mc32 wrote: post #34
zaroth wrote: post #19

The mainstream news reporting on Portland (and other regional rioting) got to the point where they were bald-faced lying about peaceful protests standing in front of burning buildings. The most charitable interpretation I can think of is that these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white. There can be a concept of “BLM”…

Obviously this is to control the narrative. Why would they shoo and have "minders" ala repressive regimes? Is it because "fake news" (that'd be a tough sell coming from the left who question that assertion). Is it because they don't want people to see the underbelly of the movement or at least the bad elements in their movement? What we do know is that if you are an organization looking for change, if you're not very…

I was on the edge of the Tea Party protests a decade back.

The Deep State crushed that effort via the IRS leaning on the leadership.

Social Media has us on the cusp of genuine, organic local leadership of society.

But there is a continuous tension to resolve between the Young Turks and the Ancien Regime.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#99

Post by phkahler »

themgt wrote: post #8

This isn't just limited to Portland but is becoming a general aspect of these protests now, e.g. here[1] was DC last night where a Washington Post reporter was hounded out of the protest and then followed by "minders" to prevent his return. Protesters are now blocking media from filming their demonstration, shining lights into a reporter’s face, blocking shots with fans umbrellas and following like “minders” ... “We…

Maybe the press needs drones.

Re: 'You're Not Allowed to Film': The Fight to Control Who Reports from Portland

#100

Post by kyrra »

the-dude wrote: post #37
zaroth wrote: post #19

The mainstream news reporting on Portland (and other regional rioting) got to the point where they were bald-faced lying about peaceful protests standing in front of burning buildings. The most charitable interpretation I can think of is that these professional journalists think that their readers can’t understand a nuanced world of gray and need everything reduced to black and white. There can be a concept of “BLM”…

In my experience from the Dutch press, they are all very left leaning. Especially our public broadcasters. There is hardly any right leaning press in The Netherlands.

The US is the same way, most reporters are democrats. See:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/25/media-bub...

https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Do_97_percent_of_journali...

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