In Seattle, thousands rally in favor of health-care reform. But not even the local media cover it

[Christa]

I've been in California this week, but my friend Goldy back in Seattle managed to make it out to last week's massive rally in support of health-care reform.

There were several thousand people there, with only a tiny smattering of teabaggers opposed to reform. Goldy has photos and reportage on just how large the support for a public option was.

And yet, guess what? The media completely ignored the rally. Even the local paper -- the ostensibly neutral but in fact Republican-run Seattle Times -- ran not one single word about it.

Of course, forget about the national media bothering to report this, too.

They've been too busy telling us that the public option is dead because of the supposedly massive opposition to it created by teabaggers.

As Goldy says:

None of this happened yesterday in downtown Seattle because no ex-marine angrily yelled down a congressman and nobody got the tip of their finger bitten off and nothing apparently is going to get the media to move from the well-entrenched meme that support for reform is steadily slipping as the public turns against Obama and the Democratic Congress… not even a show of force by the public itself.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/seattle-thousands-rally-favor-health

[ejpoeta]

1. then you hear the meme..... why is no one rallying in support of the public option....

well, they are..... it just doesn't fit into the media's story line that no one wants the reform. if they ignore it, it must not be happening.

[bc3000]

2. There's only one thing to do: We have to start acting craaaazy

And when Larry Kings asks you, "Why sir, do you think that dropping your pants and slapping your buttcheeks in the direction of the Senator was an appropriate form of protest?" just say, "well actually Larry, I'm not insane, but I knew it was the only way you or anyone on your network would cover my protest."

[Lifelong Protester]

4. Your post really made me laugh out loud

[ejpoeta]

17. that's about the size of it too.

[Hannah Bell]

3. kick. this is how elites create "reality". counter by getting the folks who

rallied to call/write local media outlets asking why no coverage & the same question via channels they have less contol over: social orgs, churches, pta & union newsletters, neighborhood doorbelling, etc.

isolated rallies = useless unless there's continuing motion following up on the ground.

[babylonsister]

5. The 'media' has stated they won't cover a town hall unless there's

controversy. Bring a gun, bite a finger off, you're in. Otherwise, not so much. They're not interested in actually providing the truth or even opposing opinions.

[Jkid]

6. Problem with tv news.

They're more into human drama in a issue other than the real aspects of an issue.

[AnneD]

7. We have the same problem here...

lots of folks at the rally-but no media....If we were tea baggers, they would be crawling up our ass.

[AnneD]

8. Sorry for the double post

leom.

[OHdem10]

9. It is assumed that people on the left can be treated any old way

be ignored, or kicked in the teeth and they will tolerate the
treatment and do nothing.

The Conservatives have put the fear of God in the media apparently.
They are taking nothing without a fight.

It is just that simple.

[elehhhhna]

10. RALLY AT THEIR BUILDINGS. MSM can't ignore their own front door.

Can't let MSNBC cover Cnn's "rally"...it'll get covered. Then we can also 'splain why we're rallying AT the TV studio bldgs. -- b/c they're ignoring what 80% of America WANTS.

Peaceful protest.

[LuckyLib]

12. This a great solution. Hold rallies AT the MSM headquarters in NYC, DC,

and your local station!

[depakid]

13. Unfortunately, it'll probably take bricks through their windows

and harassment of reporters to get much attention on the issue....

[sendero]

11. The "media" has made itself irrelevant..

... I love listening to the latest bout of "the print media is dying, we have to do something" bullshit being floated by, guess who, the "media".

The "media" are bought and sold just like our politicians. During the leadup to the Iraq war you would have never known that record protests against the war were being waged world wide, unless you went to the internet. The "media" couldn't be bothered to point out the simple truth, or the obvious truth there there were no WMDs or any other truth contrary to starting a war.

And now they cry that the bad old internet is stealing their audience and cribbing their work. What work? When was the last time a newpaper broke an important scandal story with their own investigative "journalism"?

There were plenty of them to be broken during the Bush years but the Fourth Estate was no where to be found. Whether because of right-wing leanings of the owners, fear of losing "access" to the White House, or any number of other reasons the media in this country simply no longer fulfill their role of holding the politicians to account.

I'll not shed a single tear when every large newspaper in the country folds. They contribute nothing, they are less than worthless.

[watercolors]

14. Health Care rally in Fl. was on local ABC news

I have heard of more and mor rallies for healthcare, maybe tide is turning, people getting fed up with the rabble. I'm encouraged!

[Cha]

15. And, that is the corporatemedia in a nutshell.

And, some still don't get it.

[paulsby]

16. WA is an open carry state

so maybe if a bunch of the protesters showed up with guns on their hip (perfectly legal here, even though mayor nickels doesn't like it and tried to pass an "executive order" to go against state law and constitution), THEN the media would cover it?

a 3000 person strong rally on ANY subject would seem to warrant press attention in a city of seattle's size imo

[Sebastian Doyle]

18. They should have had the rally at Seattle Center rather than Westlake

The local ABC affiliate (KOMO TV) is literally right across the street. It would be difficult for them to ignore that.

[malaise]

19. Spread the video on UTube n/t

[Downtown Hound]

20. The same thing happened in my town

Several hundred people marched. And the local paper didn't even print one word about it. I think what we need is some civil disobedience to get their attention.

[Matariki]

21. Send the link to Olbermann and Maddow.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. When I worked on the Kucinich campaign in 2004, we

bombarded the local media with phone calls BEFORE the event, not just through press releases but through individuals calling.

We still got less publicity for rallies with audiences of 1600 than John Edwards did for meeting with 25 donors, but at least we got SOME coverage.