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: Spying on Americans - Where Do We Draw The Line?

Spying on Americans - Where Do We Draw The Line?

By: Ryan Duncan

In New York, the Handschu rules place limits on surveillance. In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, a judge loosened the law, technically allowing police to infiltrate any group. The namesake of the Handschu rules says it shouldn't be that way and wants her name removed from the law. A judge denied her request. She's concerned the rules are being used to justify the widespread surveillance of Muslim Americans. They also don't approve of the use of surveillance on protesters, as has been occuring during the Occupy Wallstreet movement. The theory is, when people think they're being watched, they'll be scared to dissent.

Where do we draw the line between protecting our safety, and protecting our rights to free speech and assembly?

Rolling Out The Welcome Mat

Rolling Out The Welcome Mat

By Shannon Mouton

Wow, this is a big world with 193 countries and 7 billion people speaking 6,500 languages. Think of it, immigrants from the around the world come here, the United States of America. We should be humbled, with our widely known and often discussed history of slavery, discrimination, intolerance and injustice, they still want to come here. They want to live with us; they want to be our neighbors and they want to call America home.

They come here singing "America! America! God shed his grace on thee..."
They come here thinking we are "the land of the free and the home of the brave..."
They come here accepting Lady Liberty's invitation, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses..."
They come here knowing with hard work and perseverance, they too can achieve the American Dream.
They come here believing in democracy, "with liberty and justice for all."
To put it quite simply, they think we are all of that and a bag of chips.
Are we? Is America living up to the hype?

I'm not so sure anymore:

Most of us are aware of the Arizona law, SB 1070, which encourages racial profiling because it requires "law enforcement officers attempt to determine an individual's immigration status during a 'lawful stop, detention or arrest' when there is reasonable suspicion that the individual is an illegal immigrant..."

In June Alabama passed HB 56, which "requires public schools to check students’ immigration status, criminalizes giving an undocumented immigrant a ride, and instructs police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop if they suspect the person of being an undocumented immigrant."

Not to mention redlining, LGBTQ discrimination, sexual harassment and pay inequities, voter fraud elimination schemes and the rise of hate crimes.

Yep, I can see why immigrants would want to come here. We're so open to people not like us.

Trade Tip: Breathe & Delegate

Breathe & Delegate

By Nicole Hayes

We’re entering the time of year when holiday parties, gatherings with out of town family and friends, and lengthy “to-do” lists will have us scurrying to and fro, hopefully without injury. Meanwhile, we diligently strive to finish all work assignments, post to the blog, send out that tweet, prattle off emails, attend meetings, and oh yes—take kitty or puppy to the vet and go to that necessary doctor’s appointment. If you had a clone, you just might get it all done without breaking a sweat. But since none of us have clones, here’s how you can survive and thrive (particularly for “A-type” personalities who need to “do-it-all”):

1. Delegate what you can to others. Give the person clear directions on what needs accomplished and the end goal. Provide the “who, what, when, where, why and how,” along with your expectations.
2. Be confident in others’ abilities. You’re a superman or superwoman in your work, but even superheroes have to recharge to stay powerful. Once you’ve given clear instructions on delegated assignments, have confidence in that person’s ability and talents to see the task through. They want to please you in the process and appreciate your trust in them (although the occasional “touch base” never hurts).
3. Learn to say “No” where you can. If you’re asked to host 20 people for Thanksgiving dinner but view this as unrealistic with your schedule, culinary skills or kitchen amenities, let people know and say what is feasible for you. People will typically understand.
4. Make lists. If you think you’ll forget something, write it down. If your brain is still thinking of tasks before you go to sleep, write it down. Sleep won’t come if you’re dreaming deadlines and spreadsheets.
5. Control what you can, manage your time. Consider what items you can knock out easily that require less time and will eliminate last minute rush. (Ex: Writing your blog posts or tweets beforehand). This will ensure these tasks occur uninterrupted when unexpected happenings pop up (and they will).
6. Take lunch breaks. Get up and walk around, reenergize yourself by stepping away from the work. You’ll be more insightful and productive when you return to the task.
7. Exercise! If your proverbial response is, “I don’t have time,” the answer is: “Do you have 10 minutes?” Even a few jumping jacks, brief stretching, walk around the block can increase endorphins giving you energy and pull you out of a slump.
8. Pamper yourself. Getting the manicure, pedicure or ‘do done, can do wonders and take your mind off the to-do lists.
9. Voicemail—use it! Don’t be afraid to let some calls go to voicemail if your time is tight. Allow yourself to finish your task where you can return the call and be fully present in the conversation. If the person calling typically spends 45 minutes catching you up on the latest reality show, you can probably send that call straight to voicemail.

Study the pros for more tips. A quick read of best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey, may offer you great insight in successfully addressing personal and professional dilemmas.

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

Diversity: Segregation IS Natural

Diversity: Segregation IS Natural

By Shannon Mouton

 

segregate (v): to separate or set apart from others or from the main body or group; isolate

It is time to be really real with each other...we are more comfortable with our own kind, and it is okay. It is natural.

Look at nature, lions roam the plains with lions, wolves run in packs with other wolves and even ants build highly structured colonies with other ants. Segregation is natural. It is only in the most complex ecosystems, such as a rain forest, where multiple species co-exist, interact and depend on each other. For them, integration is natural. 

 

As we are all homo sapiens, shouldn't it be easier for us to co-habitate?

This is where the rubber meets the road...we have to move above and beyond what is natural and comfortable for our own ever-increasingly complex ecosystem to survive and flourish. The troubling part is the breadth and depth of segregation, it permeates every part of American society and culture. For most of us it is an unconscious way of life. Consider Sunday, it the most segregated day of the week. Monday through Friday we labor side-be-side, have lunch together and my imbibe at a happy hour with each other. On Saturday, our children play soccer together, we shop, go the movies and co-mingle throughout the afternoon. But Sunday is a very different thing for most of us. Race-based denominations, congregations and conventions abound:

• The African Methodist Episcopal Church
• St. Augustine Catholic Church, "the Mother Church of African American Catholics"
• The National Baptist Convention, "the nation's oldest and largest African American religious convention"

This is in no way meant as an indictment of religion, faith, denominations, congregations, etc. These organizations and their founders were forced to segregate because of prejudice and fear in the 18th and 19th centuries, and while they are open to all, the members are still predominantly Black. And there are countless unforced examples in our lives:

• white music (country, bluegrass, metal) and Black music (R&B, hip hop, neo-soul)
• white entertainment (Everybody Loves Earl and opera) and Black entertainment (Meet the Browns and go-gos)
• white sports (hockey, lacrosse and swimming) and Black sports (basketball, football and boxing)

There are the so-call exceptions for each of these categories, you know who they are, the "blue-eyed soul brother" or the "Black diva."

 

Yes, yes, yes...let's just admit it, put it out in the open...we prefer being with others like us. We feel welcome, safe and empowered; we are in our comfort zones with others like us. However, consider this, "If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness." ~Les Brown

 

How will you move beyond your comfort zone?

What one thing can you do to make your life more integrated?

Real PR Power

Real PR Power

By: Gwen McKinney

The art of winning friends and influencing people. 

That’s how public relations pioneer Ofield Dukes sums up the profession.

This is a man who has easily cleared more paths to progress in his long and storied career than an army of public relations professionals could attempt in their collective lifetime. Better yet, match one Ofield Dukes for 50 PR Powerbrokers and he still comes out on top! 

Fifty is the magic number that PR Week designated for its controversial July edition saluting the mostly white men and women who they decreed worthy of their listing of most powerful PR leaders. Not a single African American PR professional made the list.

A chorus of outrage ensued. And after a volley of emails that ended with me and PR Week Editor Steve Barrett agreeing to disagree, I let it rest – but not die. As one of my Linked-In pals suggested, why let power be defined by a magazine that makes their picks from big PR agencies and corporations based on the size of their ad budget to the book? That wasn’t just a question, but a call to action.

So to my Linked-In buddies who agreed to join me, this is the grand kickoff of our “Real PR Power” campaign.

To others, I say, “Y’all come too!”  Nominate, educate and help us salute deserving people whose work and impact deserve attention.

That takes me back to Ofield Dukes. The founder of the National Black Public Relations Society, he insisted African Americans stake out a voice and role in the profession. He has mentored more people than anyone can count and is a reliable stalwart for diversity in the industry and beyond. Having served as a communications counselor to every Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson, Ofield recently relocated from DC after 46 years to his native Detroit. There, he can be close to family as he wages a battle against Multiple Myeloma, a bone cancer that he describes as unpredictable “but not a death sentence.”  While his health is ailing, his spirit of sharing and believing remains immense. 

We talked recently when I reached out to ask him to join me on a panel to surface the Real PR Power nominees.  He graciously said, “of course.” While panel members can’t nominate themselves or be nominated, I reserve the right to use this kickoff of Real PR Power campaign to issue a round of applause to the inimitable Ofield Dukes, who embodies all that we want to convey.

A  speech he gave last year to communications students in Buffalo reminds me of his charm and magic. Cheers to Ofiled and look out for Real PR Power role models soon!