Media Missing Real Stories Behind Public Protests

By Mark Taliano

It’s hard to create a strong democracy when we’re surrounded by media bias, but it can be done.  At least in Canada, we’re not terrorized by Death Squads late at night.

Rioters in London, England recently clash with police.

One way to restore a strong democracy is to fight this bias.  A disproportionate amount of media,  for example, have been painting political protests in a negative light by emphasizing the violence to the detriment of the less publicized and more ubiquitous raisons d’etre of the protests: social injustice.
People in Wisconsin, and Toronto have been protesting government repression, in the various guises of corporatism, which weakens collective labour, as well as social, and public programs, but the negative media spin is a predominant message.. At the G-20 protests in Toronto, for example, the burning police car merited widespread footage, while the real stories remained silent.  The vast majority of protesters (not “rioters”) were unable to peacefully present their views because of the media focus on the minority who embraced chaos. These criminal elements might well have been better restrained had they been outside of the media glare, rather than in the media’s focus.  However, the fact that they were in the spotlight served the Agenda of special interests well, since they would rather that the “real” issues not be discussed.  In this case, then, the media focus served the needs of the minority oligarchs, who wield tremendous power.

Buildings in London, England on fire in 2010 as students protest tuition fee hikes

The hollowing out of the middle class, consistent with a third world economic model, is another theme of muted protestors. So-called “free” trade agreements, which are, in fact, protectionist towards corporations, are not serving the overall public interests well.  Canada has lost about 300,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs due to these “agreements”.

This alternate, muted narrative, decries the fact that the “trickle down” benefits from the new economic model aren’t manifesting themselves.  Unions are being weakened and dismantled, collective voices of equality and justice are being lost, and the chasm between rich and poor is increasing.

We shouldn’t have to bail out banks, only to have our governments borrow money from these same banks. We can afford to stop subsidizing the Tar Sands, but we can not afford to ignore the fact that the last decade was the hottest on record.  We can afford universal, public health care, but we can not afford commercialized health care.  These issues need to be discussed, not buried, and we need to continue to pursue our public rights to peaceful protest for worthy causes.

Our future, and the future of generations to come, depend on it.

Mark Taliano is a Niagara resident who has frequently contributed commentary to Niagara At Large

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