TeaParties:TheVoiceofAmerica

CaseStudy:April15th2009TeaParties,DespiteMedia’sinsinuationsthey’renotjustaRepublicanpowerplay

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TheUnitedStatesofAmericawascreatedtoprovideahavenandhomeforimmigrantsandhas

developedintooneofthebiggestanddiversecountriesintheworld.OurFoundingFatherswrotetheConstitutioninordertoprovideAmericanswithguidelinesandhopeforanewcountryandwayoflife.NowhundredsofyearslaterAmericansaretryingtofindthevoicestheyusedtocallouttoEnglandand

theworlddemandingtheyberecognized.Thedifferenceistodayit’shappeningintheirowntownsandthey’repleadingfortheirowngovernment,theonecreatedtoprotectandhelpthem,todoastheyhavepromised.Throughtheomnipresenceofcamerasforeverythingtodayitwasareasonable

expectationthattheirfightwouldbeshownonthenewsandlistenedto.Insteadtheywereeitherignoredorberatedasfools.Themediagavethepeopleadialogueofanti‐Americanismusingsoundand

imagebitestogivetheaudiencethe

impressionofrabblerousers.Thefreedomofspeechallowedtothembytheshapersofourcountrywasinfull

effect.

TheTea(TaxedEnoughAlready)PartiestookplaceonApril15th2009,allacrossthecountry.Itwasa

gatheringofpeopletoprotesttaxationprimarilyandharkenedbacktothe

originalTeaPartyheldinBostonwhentheSonsofLibertytossedchestsofteaintotheharbortoprotestunfair

taxation.

Manynewsoutletssuggestthattheentireconceptofteapartieswasa

movebyRepublicansandFoxNewstooverthrowtheDemocratsandspreadvitriolaboutthenew

PresidentsinceFoxNewswasasponsor.PaulKrugmanoftheNewYorkTimeswrote,“Itturnsoutthattheteapartiesdon’trepresentaspontaneousoutpouringofpublicsentiment.They’reAstroTurf(fakegrassroots)events,manufacturedbytheusualsuspects.Inparticular,akeyroleisbeingplayedby

FreedomWorks,anorganizationrunbyRichardArmey,theformerHousemajorityleader,andsupportedbytheusualgroupofright‐wingbillionaires.Andthepartiesare,ofcourse,beingpromotedheavilybyFoxNews.”

ThereweremanylikeMr.KrugmanwhoscoffsattheprotestorsbelievingthemtobesheeptotheGOP’sshepard.Thisseemedtobethetrendamongmainstreammediaoutletseverywherefrom

ABCtoCNN.Themovementinspiredangerandfearinthe‘impartial’reporters.CNN’sSusanRoesgen,whointerviewedseveralprotestersleftimpartialitybehindwhensherepeatedlycutoffintervieweeswithherownopinionsandwhenshesaid,“Well,youknow,Kyra,thisisapartyforObamabashers.I

havetosaythatthisisnotentirelyrepresentativeofeverybodyinAmerica….It'santi‐government,anti‐CNN,sincethisishighlypromotedbytherightwingconservativenetwork,Fox.AndsinceIcan'treallyhearmuchmoreandIthinkthisisnotreallyfamilyviewing,I'lltossitbacktoyou”(CNN).Complaints

aboutherwererampantaftertheairingoftheclipandhaveledtohercontractbeingletgo.

TeaPartiesheldcountrywide

AswaswrittenbyMichelleMalkininapoliticalblog,MichelleMalkin.com,“Activistswerederidedasamateurswhocouldn’tturnoutacrowd.Thentheyweresmearedascorporateshills.Theywerecriticizedfornothavingacoherentmessage.Thentheyweremockedforideologicalsingle‐

mindedness.Theyareresentedbyprofessionalstrategistswhoaccusethemoforganizingemptyproteststhatwon’ttranslateintoelectoralgains.Butthemovementhasgivenbirthtoanewgenerationofmoversandshakerswhohaverejectedestablishmentpartisanpoliticsfornimble,Internet‐facilitated,

issues‐basedadvocacy.ThesuccessoftheTeaPartymovementanditsallies/successorsshowsthatthere’snomonopolyon“communityorganizing.”

Inatimewhenspecialtynewsstationsrunfor24hoursadaythere’salotoffillerthatneedstogointoeachbroadcast.Eachstationparticipatesinagendasetting,puttingwhattheywanttheviewer

tothinkaboutinfrontofthem.Withsuchafloodofinformationcomingatusfromsomanyangleshowcanonedeterminewhotolistento?Doesanyonehavesociety’sbestinterestatheartorareweasapeoplestuckinthebattleforratingsandsoapboxes?ThroughtheiruseofInternet,TVreports,polls,

andtickerswe’reheldcaptivebyopinions.Nowit’stimetofreeoneselfandlearnhowtoquestionthemedia.

Exercises

CanYouRead/ListenBehindtheLines?

Today’sinformationstreamisoverwhelming.Factsandopinionscomefromthenewspaper,the

computer,theTV,cellphonesandyourfriends.Howdoweknowwheretoturntoforourinformation?Whohastheinformationthatwewanttohear?Themajorityofnewschannelstodayhavearightorleftleaningtendency.Inordertofindoutwhichwayyouleanfirstwatchthetwoclipsprovidedand

thenreadthefollowingquotesfrommainstreammediaoutletsandidentifythosethatyouagreewiththemost.

Clip1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zNbWtl4wgM

Clip2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrPzVECSjo&feature=related

Clip3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vKr95e5aIE&feature=related

Nowreadthefollowingquotesandmatchthequotetothesource:

1‐ "CheeredonbyFoxNewsandtalkradio,thehundredsofteapartiestodayweredesignedtoprotestthebailouts,thestimulusplan,andPresidentObama'sbudget....Butcriticsontheleftsaythisisnotarealgrassrootsphenomenonatall,thatit'sactuallylargelyorchestratedby

peoplefrontingforcorporateinterests....WhiletheBostonTeaPartyin1773wasabouttaxationwithoutrepresentation,criticspointoutthattoday'sprotestersdidgettovote‐‐theyjustlost.

What'smore,pollsshowmostAmericansdon'tfeelovertaxed."

2‐ "Organizersinsisttoday's'teaparties'wereorganicuprisingsoflike‐mindedtaxpayersfrombothparties,"but"someobserverssuggestnotallofitwasashome‐grownasitmayseem."Those"someobservers"turnedouttobeoneobserver,NBCNewsWhiteHousereporterChuckTodd:

"Alotofthesentimentisaboutorganizinganti‐Obamarallies,gettingconservativesexcitedabouttheconservativemovementagain."Turningtopublicsentiment,hemaintained:"Althoughtoday'sorganizerscalledthisnationaldayofprotestasuccess,pollsstillshowthata

slimmajorityofAmericansactuallyapproveofthebailoutplan.Whattheydisagreewithiswherethemoneyshouldgo."

3‐ "Disturbing"thattherewasa"edgeofangeratthegovernment"attherallies.Hecontinued,

"Thereisareal‐‐arealhostilitythatisnotjustpoliticsasusualamongsomeofthesepeople....I

thinkit'sindicativeoftryingtotapintoanangerthat'sbeyondrationalityonapartofasmall

groupofthesepeople…iftheprotesterswere"reallyoutofstepwiththemajorityof

Americans."hemid‐1990sliberalsmearcampaignagainstgrassrootsconservatismbypostingan

articleonthenewDHS"right‐wingextremism"threatreportwithaphotoofneo‐Naziandwhite

supremacistflags.

4‐ “Youknow,thereisnothingmoreinterestingthanseeingabunchofracistsbecomeconfusedandangryataspeech‐‐they'renotquitesurewhathe'ssaying.Itsoundsrighttothem,and

thenitdoesn'tmakesense.Which‐‐let'sbeveryhonestaboutwhatthiswasabout.It'snot

aboutbashingDemocrats,it'snotabouttaxes,theyhavenoideawhattheBostonTeaPartywasabout,theydon'tknowtheirhistoryatall‐‐thiswasabouthatingablackmanintheWhite

House.Thisisracism,straightup.Thatisnothingbutabunchofteabaggingrednecks.”

A‐ CNN’sChristianeAmanpourandJeffreyToobin

B‐ ABC’sDanHarris

C‐ MSNBCguestJaneaneGarofalo

D‐ NBC’sLeeCowan

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton‐motley/2009/04/20/summary‐april‐15‐tea‐parties‐media‐coverage

AnalysisCriteria

1. Howdoestheissueofaccesscomeintoplay?Manypeopledidn’tgettoseecoverageontheTeaPartiesduetothelackofastrongmediapresence.Intheendwerethereenoughwaystoaccesstheinformation?Ifso,whatwouldthebestwaysbetofindoutwhatisn’tbeingshown

onyourTV?Doyoublamethemediaforyourlackofaccessordoyoubelievehavingtoseekoutinformationinotherwaysparforthecourse?

2. Aswasdiscussedinthecasestudyawarenessisakeypartofoursociety.There’ssuchafloodofinformationwhat’sthebestwaytobeawareofwhat’simportantandwhat’snot?Wereyou

initiallyawareoftheTeaPartiestakingplacethroughoutthecountry?Ifyouweren’t,whatarethebestchannelsforyoutogatherinformation?

3. TakingintoconsiderationtheYouTubeclipsandquotesassesswhymainstreammediamayhavebeenreluctanttoairfootagefromtheParties.Whatwouldbetheconsforthem?Alsodo

youthinktheycouldhaveaireditinawaythatwasunbiasedandnothaveangeredpeople,thewaySusanRoesgendid?

4. ManymediaoutletshavelabeledtheTeaPartiesasaRepublicancampaign.Doyouappreciatethefervorofthepeopleregardlessofwhereitrootsmayhavestemmedfrom?

5. Haveyouevertakenaction?Doyouthinktheactiontakenbytheparticipantswasintheirbest

interest?Whataboutinthecountry’sbestinterest?Weretherebetterwaystogettheirpointacross?

Sources

"2009TEAPARTIES‐."AtlasShrugs.Web.11Nov.2009.

<http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/04/2009‐tea‐parties.html>.

"InvitationtotheApril15TeaParties."YouTube‐BroadcastYourself.17Mar.2009.Web.1Nov.

2009.<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vKr95e5aIE&feature=related>.

Krugman,Paul."TeaPartiesForever."NewYorkTimes12Apr.2009.12Apr.2009.Web.30Oct.

2009.<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13krugman.html>.

Lawless,Charles."RudeCNNReporterNeedsFiredTeaPartyinterviewCNNTeaPartyTax."

YouTube‐BroadcastYourself.16Apr.2009.Web.1Nov.2009.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrPzVECSjo&feature=related>.

Malkin,Michelle."Celebratingthe9/12Rallies."Weblogpost.MichelleMalkin.12Sept.2009.

Web.30Oct.2009.<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/12/celebrating‐the‐912‐

rallies/>.

Motley,Seton."SummaryoftheApril15TEAPartiesMediaCoverage."Newsbusters.org.22

Apr.2009.Web.30Oct.2009.<http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton‐

motley/2009/04/20/summary‐april‐15‐tea‐parties‐media‐coverage>.

Vetsjim."YouTube‐SusanRoesgenChicagoTeaParty4/15."YouTube‐BroadcastYourself.16

Apr.2009.Web.1Nov.2009.<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zNbWtl4wgM>.