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Do America’s establishment media outlets exist to inform the general public about what’s going on – or to hide the goings-on that the establishment doesn’t like?
Years ago, many establishment newspapers effectively “disappeared” progressive groups by refusing to report on their meetings and actions, hoping to keep the general public from hearing anti-establishment messages or knowing about progressive alternatives. For example, the dominant paper in Dallas so totally excluded progressives that activists gave the daily a new slogan: “The Dallas Morning News – If It Happens In Dallas, It’s News To Us.”
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That same slogan could fit most of our national media sources today. For example, you probably didn’t hear about a momentous political gathering of grassroots progressives that recently took place in Washington, DC. Called “Populism2015,” it was coordinated by National People’s Action – a fast-growing coalition of workers, environmentalists, low-income people, farmers, clergy and others. More than 1,000 experienced activists of every race, age, gender, and region attended. This was not just another conference of yackety-yakkers, but the construction crew of a new bottom-up politics that’s building a genuine grassroots movement around a bold populist agenda.
So, where were America’s news sources? National reporters and pundits, who give “in-depth” coverage to silly straw polls and other fabricated political “news,” shunned this real news. The fact that such a movement is organizing would give hope to many disenchanted voters and non-voters – yet the mass media utterly failed its basic duty: Inform the public about what’s happening.
This is Jim Hightower saying… While this grassroots reality is news to the media establishment, you can learn about Populism2015 at www.PeopleAndPlanetFirst.org.
“What progressive populists are looking for,” The Hill, April 18, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/us/wisconsin-agency-bans-activism-on-climate.html?_r=0
“Everyone’s hopping on the populist bandwagon. Will it lead to any actual policy change?” Washington Post, April 16, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/04/16/everyones-hopping-on-the-populist-bandwagon-will-it-lead-to-actual-policy-change/
“Can New Populist Agenda Harness Passions, Create Movement From Below,” Common Dreams, April 17, 2015, Common Dreams, April 17, 2015, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/04/17/can-new-populist-agenda-harness-passions-create-movement-below
“Populism 2015 Conference launches campaign for ‘new’ economy,” www.peoplesworld.org, April 21, 2015, http://peoplesworld.org/populism-2015-conference-launches-campaign-for-new-economy/
“Progressive Coalition Tells Lawmakers: ‘Don’t Trade Away Our Future with Fast Track,” Common Dreams, April 20, 2015, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/04/20/progressive-coalition-tells-lawmakers-dont-trade-away-our-future-fast-track
“The Left Battles Obama and Hillary on Trade, but Only She Seems to be Listening,” Bloomberg Politics, April 20, 2015, http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-21/the-left-battles-obama-and-hillary-on-trade-but-only-she-seems-to-be-listening