MEDIA FUELS OCCUPY WALL ST. MOVEMENT

Repeatedly I have expressed my negative reaction to the Occupy Wall Street movement and its motivation. I have noted complicity between the “OWS” participants, and the main-stream media including radio, television and newspaper coverage.

Media outlets across the country are outraged with the pepper spray incident at the University of California/Davis that is often mentioned and video aired with little or no acknowledgement of the activities that lead up to the action by campus Police. Shepard Smith on Fox News Channel went ballistic criticizing the Police involved before he knew anything about the incident, except the brief video feed from the local Fox affiliate showing the protestors being pepper sprayed from point blank range.

When viewing OWS demonstrations have you ever asked yourself: Why do the participants feel they must mask their faces. What are they ashamed of and why do they not have the guts to be recognized. What are they hiding?

Lately, good solid reporting by print and broadcast journalists is long on sensationalism and short on solid facts, because their approach is quick and cheap. Good and accurate journalism is costly and time consuming and that is not what we are getting in today’s stringent economy.

I know from what I speak, because I was on the management side of the industry in the good old days when the business of journalism made an excellent profit and could afford to do the job correctly. Now the old expression, “If it bleeds it leads” is very much in vogue for both print and electronic media outlets. Then add the very real liberal vent that is prevalent in newsrooms across America today and the public is being fed a biased, one side view of the issues.

CNSnews.com reports that according to an Associated Press survey the OWS movement has cost the nation’s cities $13 million dollars in over-time expense for Police Department and other municipal services in just two months. One must wonder how the OWS organizers can justify that expense when they are so critical of government and bank actions.

Beware of what you’re getting from media today. Question what you’re seeing and reading and look for responsible sources of your information before your react. If the cameras and reporters were to ignore OWS, the movement would likely fold 24-48 hours.

COMMANDER GRANGER