Video: Disparities in Media Coverage for Occupy Wallstreet Movement

Video: Disparities in Media Coverage for

Occupy Wallstreet Movement

By: Ryan Duncan

The Occupy Wall Street movement has been going on for months now and this week, we began to see a crack down on many of the Occupy Wall Street camps across the country. From Zuccotti Park, to Oakland, to Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA police, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, began removing protesters from their camps, often leading to violent confrontations. There efforts proved futile, however, as protesters vowed to return no matter what, and return they have. What's interesting to witness is the disparity in media coverage of the protests and the crack downs. The video above, via the Huffington Post, provides a side-by-side comparison of the coverage between left-leaning MSNBC and the conservatively-biased Fox News. With movements like these, it's all about controling the messaging, and unfortunately it's unlikely the Occupy protesters will find many friends with the powers that be, that currently control most of our major media outlets.

What do you think? Is there a media-bias against the Occupy Wall Street movement?

Read more about media disinformation of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Video: A Protest Song For Occupy Wall Street

A Protest Song For Occupy Wall Street

Performed last night to an audience that included President Obama. From the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

Slack-key celebrity Makana used his performance at an APEC dinner last night at the Hale Koa Hotel as an opportunity to get his pro-Occupy Wall Street movement views out to President Barack Obama and other world leaders. Makana wore an "Occupy with Aloha" t-shirt under his black blazer and sang his newest song, "We are the Many," an anthem of sorts for Occupy protestors. The lyrics include, "Ye come here gather 'round the stage; The time has come for us to voice our rage."

We hope the President and all who hear this song are inspired by its truly poignant message.

We Are The Many

Ye come here, gather 'round the stage
The time has come for us to voice our rage
Against the ones who've trapped us in a cage
To steal from us the value of our wage

From underneath the vestiture of law
The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw
At liberty, the bureaucrats guffaw
And until they are purged, we won't withdraw

We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

Our nation was built upon the right
Of every person to improve their plight
But laws of this Republic they rewrite
And now a few own everything in sight

They own it free of liability
They own, but they are not like you and me
Their influence dictates legality
And until they are stopped we are not free

We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

You enforce your monopolies with guns
While sacrificing our daughters and sons
But certain things belong to everyone
Your thievery has left the people none

So take heed of our notice to redress
We have little to lose, we must confess
Your empty words do leave us unimpressed
A growing number join us in protest

We occupy the streets
We occupy the courts
We occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

You can't divide us into sides
And from our gaze, you cannot hide
Denial serves to amplify
And our allegiance you can't buy

Our government is not for sale
The banks do not deserve a bail
We will not reward those who fail
We will not move till we prevail

We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

We are the many
You are the few

Occupy Wall Street—A Timeline

Occupy Wall Street—A Timeline

The Occupy Wall Street protest, which began in September as a small encampment of mostly young activists with more emotion than clearly stated objectives, was mostly ignored by the media. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the protests quickly became a subject of ridicule. But then something happened: Occupy Wall Street exploded into a nationwide series of demonstrations drawing support from unions and mainstream liberal groups, with comparisons to the powerhouse Tea Party movement and revolutionary pro-democracy protesters in Egypt's Tahrir Square. How did that happen?

Take a look at the key events below.

June 9
Canadian anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters registers the domain name OccupyWallStreet.org.

July 13
Adbusters calls for a Sept. 17 protest, where "20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades.

Aug. 23
"Hactivist" collective Anonymous releases a video pledging its support for the protest.

Sept. 9
Supporters of Occupy Wall Street start posting their photos and stories to a new "We Are the 99 Percent" Tumblr page.

Sept. 17
The protest begins, with about 1,000 people gathering in downtown Manhattan and walking up and down Wall Street.

Sept. 19
Roseanne Barr becomes the first celebrity to endorse Occupy Wall Street.

Sept. 20
Police start arresting mask-wearing protesters, using an arcane law dating back to 1845 that bans masked gatherings unless part of "a masquerade party or like entertainment."

Sept. 24
About 80 people are arrested during a permit-less march uptown, and video of the event — especially the use of pepper spray on a group of women — earns Occupy Wall Street its first major media coverage. An OWS-inspired protest starts in Chicago.

Sept. 26
Filmmaker Michael Moore addresses the crowd at Zuccotti Park. Noam Chomsky sends his regards.

Sept. 27
Actress Susan Sarandon and Princeton academic Cornel West show up at the protests.

Sept. 28
Transport Workers Union Local 100 becomes the first big union to support Occupy Wall Street via a member vote.

Sept. 30
An internet hoax that Radiohead will play for the protesters draws a crowd downtown.

Oct. 1
Some 700 protesters are arrested in a march across the Brooklyn Bridge. The mass arrests push the protests to the front page of newspapers and the top of TV news broadcasts. OWS-inspired protests start in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles.

Oct. 3
Protesters dressed as "corporate zombies," in full zombie regalia and clutching fake cash, parade down Wall Street. The protests have spread nationwide, including Boston, Memphis, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Hawaii, and Portland, Maine.

Oct. 5
At least 39 organizations, including New York City's largest labor unions and MoveOn.org, join Occupy Wall Street for a march through New York's financial district. Organizers say 10,000 to 20,000 people marched; the media puts the number somewhere below 15,000.

Oct. 6
About 4,000 protesters march in Portland, OR. More demonstrations unfold in Houston, Austin, Tampa, and San Francisco.

Oct. 7
Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticizes the protesters in a radio interview, saying they are "taking the jobs away from people working in this city" and that the protests are "not good for tourism."

Oct. 8
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, shuts down after a crowd shows up to voice opposition to U.S. drone strikes abroad. The demonstrators are joined by members of the Occupy Wall Street offshoot Occupy DC.

Oct. 10
Mayor Bloomberg softens his earlier criticisms, and says protesters can stay in New York as long as they want — so long as they obey the law.

Oct. 13
 Zuccotti Park owner announces that protesters must vacate the park.

Oct. 14
Owner backs off and avoids a standoff between the demonstrators and police.

Oct. 15
The wave of protests spreads worldwide, from Europe to the Americas to Asia

Oct. 18
President Obama delivers a mixed message on Nightline, saying he "understands the frustrations" of the protesters, but that the movement  is "not that different from some of the protests we saw coming from the Tea Party."

Oct. 21
The host of an opera radio show aired by NPR affiliates is fired for participating in the Occupy DC movement.

Oct. 24
Progressive icon Elizabeth Warren takes some of the credit for the movement, telling Newsweek that she "created much of the intellectual foundation for what [the protesters] do."

Oct. 25
The Egyptian activists who toppled Hosni Mubarak lend their support to the protesters. In Oakland, CA, police clear about 170 protesters from their encampment outside of City Hall and arrest 97 demonstrators.

Oct. 26

Big Labor gave an Occupy Wall Street rally in Manhattan a big boost this week, bringing the estimated number of participants in New York alone to roughly 15,000.

New report finds that in the past three decades, the richest 1 percent of Americans have seen their income grow by 275 percent since 1979, compared to the nation’s poorest 20 percent who had only an 18 percent increase (see PDF).

So what is Occupy Wall Street so angry about?

PR Tips: False: All Around the World Same Song

False: All Around the World Same Song

By Nicole Hayes

Cutbacks. Higher prices. Lost jobs, closed businesses. Foreclosed homes. For more than three years, we’ve been bombarded with these words. For some of us, this may be true of our current situation. Others may consider the possibility “contagious” and assume they’ll soon become infected, singing the same tune as those who succumbed to a failed economy. But what happened to viewing “the glass half full” instead of “half empty”? All around the world, it’s not the same song…and here’s why.

More people (whether or not of their own volition) are viewing the “economic crisis” as an opportunity to reinvent themselves or pursue dreams long ignored for the sake of a steady paycheck and benefits. Some women were managers and after becoming suddenly unemployed, found their joy and business in the kitchen. Other people put a twist on daily activities to offer as a unique product or service. So how can you sing a different tune when the world is cracking around you? Here are four suggestions:

1)    Listen to and understand what drives you, excites you. This could very well be your path to reinvention.

2)    Put your face in the place—Network! By maintaining relationships with old colleagues and friends and meeting new people, opportunities are often what you make of them.

3)    Go where the people are—Social Media.  According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, at least 79% of American adults use the Internet; of which 65% use a social media networking site (Facebook or Linked In)—this is up from 61% in 2010. Social media is a vehicle where you can receive broad and rapid responses to a need or pursuit. Give it a try! Some of us (myself included) are being forced to grow our skills in the social media space, where others are more adept. Saying you “don’t have time” or “don’t know how” are simply excuses that will shut you out of waiting opportunities. Update your social media profiles regularly, let people know what you do, what you need. Someone will respond!

4)    You frame your world with your thoughts, words. Simply put, if you think it, it shall be.

If you’re not already, we encourage you to follow one or more of these suggestions to create and seize new opportunities. The sad song someone else is singing doesn’t have to be yours!

Diversity: How Are Food Deserts Really Affecting Us?

Photo caption: Map showing percentage of households throughout the nation currently living in a food desert.

Diversity: How Are Food Deserts Really Affecting Us?

By: Tamara Braunstein

If you’re following our blog, you know that this week we’re doing a series to prepare for National Food Day, which is next Monday. According to the website, the movement is designed to “push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.” To sponsors and supporters this includes advocating for “food labeling, better nutrition, and safer food,” which sound like great ideas anybody can get behind.

But what good does all of that do if access to those labeled, nutritious and safe foods doesn’t improve?

The dilemma of food deserts isn’t new, but with First Lady Michelle Obama shining the spotlight on gaps in communities’ access to healthy food – access meaning “the food is available and affordable” – the discussion is becoming a hot topic.

Much of the conversation surrounding food deserts involves their distribution and effect. While some organizations, like the National Association of Convenience Stores, challenge the view that food deserts significantly affect health and nutrition in a surrounding area, others, like the US Department of Agriculture, have found that 3.2 percent of all US households live between ½ and 1 mile from a supermarket without access to a vehicle. In low income urban areas, that figure jumps to 22 percent. In a city like DC, where our nation’s outrageous socio-economic gaps are starkly illustrated across racial lines, the issue transcends health and food.  

Once you set foot in a grocery store, what food you buy is ultimately your decision. You choose whether to eat natural, healthy food or sugary, processed food. But if getting to a grocery store is in and of itself a daunting endeavor, how likely are you to care whether the food you buy is labeled or produced “safely”?

Video: 'Occupy Wallstreet Protesters' WON'T Go Away!

Video: 'Occupy Wallstreet Protesters' WON'T Go Away!

By: Ryan Duncan

If you've been following all the OccupyWallStreet news from around the country, you probably heard about NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's failed attempts to "temporarily" move all the protesters in order for the park they've been occupying to be cleaned.

However, the Mayor backed down and protesters were allowed to stay, indefinitly. It seems as though political pressure forced the postponement of the cleanup.

When news broke that the protesters could stay, the crowds cheered for their victory:

Later, the growing crowds took their message to the streets, marching in victory down the streets of NYC...

 ...However, NYC police soon came under attack for instigating violent arrests and crackdowns...

...Even running over protesters with their motorcycles!

It's clear that the protests are going to continue, whether Mayor Bloomberg, or the Police like it or not. The protesters, who have been nicknamed "We are the 99%" refuse to back down and we wish them the best of luck in their fight for economic justice and political equality. 

Social Justice: Go Forth And Occupy

Go Forth And Occupy

By: Shannon Mouton

     @ShannonRenee



"Occupy____" seems to be popping up all over the United States and Canada, yes, our presumably docile neighbor to the north has awakened. 

• The original, OccupyWallStreet, is still going strong and OccupyDC doesn't seem to be ending any time soon.
• OccupyVancouver, OccupyToronto and OccupyWinnepeg are gearing up for the long haul. 
• There has been some police action in OccupyBoston and the potential for arrests in OccupySeattle and OccupyDallas. 
• OccupyPortland, OccupySeattle, OccupyLosAngeles and OccupySanFrancisco have the west coast covered.

And this is only a sampling of what is going on across the country.

Many are dismissive of the protesters, which is a shame because it completely misses the bigger picture: for the first time, in a very long time, people are trying to hold people accountable for their actions. So often, you go-along to get-along, let "them" fight the battle or simply ignore issues altogether. Americans literally can not afford to keep silent any longer.

This is WONDERFUL!

No one has to accept the status quo just because it is the status quo. History is filled with institutions and attitudes that were once the status quo, and they only changed when the collective voices of the people demanded or forced change. 

Whether or not you agree, or even understand, what the OccupyXXX in your area stands for, consider supporting your fellow Americans, who are using their voices, versus sitting quietly on the sidelines, letting someone else fight their battles.



PR Tips: Committed People Move a Message

Committed People Move a Message

By Nicole Hayes

For more than three weeks, Americans have witnessed a collective increase of committed people joining in a movement to highlight wealth inequality in the United States. “Occupy Wall Street,” which protests corporate tax avoidance and Wall Street bailouts,  started with angry New Yorkers and now people in cities across the country are ‘occupying’ this message. The 99% are telling the 1% “we’re not taking it anymore.” The movement has gained widespread participation, with ongoing demonstrations in Washington, DC as reported in this video clip. Organized demonstrations have been primarily driven by social media outreach. So far the demonstrations have been relatively peaceful and it’s hoped this continues. Will their message of “we’re not taking it anymore” bring about desired results?

A similar question was asked when a committed and hopeful people sought change and it happened: The resignation of longtime Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak—a decision fueled by millions of in-person and virtual protestors. These protests, though very violent, were the catalyst for giving the Egyptian people a chance at democracy and deciding their future. In this, and other instances (ex: Civil Rights Movement), committed people communicating the same powerful message can bring about change.