>As usual the media had no interest at all- no one turned up. This
>total lack of media interest is really getting irritating. It makes us
>wonder what the fuck we have to do to get coverage. Still, at least we
>did something.
I was really struck by this complaint. How to get media attention. A real
problem since the media is controlled by government and business interests.
I mean, it's not called "programming" for nothing.
So, the question becomes, why are we trying to get media attention? I know
there is the obvious answer: to get the attention of those who consume what
the media produces. But this way of putting it already shows that there is
a deeper problem -- the problem of a mass of information consumers whom we
want to transform into producers of political and economic action. In other
words, the problem of media is a symptom of a broader problem of social
inertia.
To make matters worse, the problem of social inertia is also a problem of
social invisibility. We rely on the media to reflect ourselves back to
ourselves. If the millions who protest a war or demonstrate for a program
or even who vote for a losing candidate are not (re)presented in the media,
then these millions are invisible to themselves.
It makes me admire the strength (and also the possible foolishness) of
folks who expose themselves to sacrifice (jail, etc.) in the process of
getting media attention. And it gives me the sense that we need to recall
that the media is an alien force with its own agendas. Do not focus on
gaining its attention directly, but rather on directly gaining people's
attention: thus, more street theater of the sort London RAG is already
doing, especially where it reaches people who are in a position to respond
(for example, by buying or not buying...).
I take courage in thinking about this from the words of John Trudell in his
song "Shaman (Make a Chant)" -- "We are stronger than we appear." (in the
album "AKA Grafitti Man," with Jesse Ed Davis.)
Peter d'Errico
Legal Studies Department
University of Massachusetts/Amherst 01003
phone: 413-545-2003
fax: 413-545-1640
email: derrico@legal.umass.edu