Loren's Seminar Papers
From digmovements
We The Media
Grassroots Journalism
By the People, For the People
It’s difficult not to notice Gillmor’s optimism and hope for the future of citizen media. From the introduction to the epilogue he tells us of his own history as an insider in the mainstream/corporate media, his witness to it’s faults and evolution, and ultimately his leaving it for the greener pastures of citizen media.
Curious though, what his career path would have been had he not been reporting on technology from the heart of Silicon Valley. It seems his moves both in employers and regions led him into the fray of early examples in grassroots journalism via the Internet.
While there certainly are faults and shortcomings in the MSM, I doubt it is going by the wayside anytime soon. There still are newspapers and news radio, in spite of the early obits written by reactionists supporting television and the Internet. Just as folks claimed studio musicians would be put out of work by the synthesizer, the like minded naysayers against old fashioned news sources and mediums are premature with their “sky is falling” scenarios.
I’m all for usurping the company big wigs strangle hold on what has become present-day journalism, yet it seems to me this is a far too new-ish development to place any safe bets. As we’ve already seen, the melting pot has boiled most and raised a few to the surface… and many of those ‘citizen journalists’ bubbling at the top have been skimmed off and placed on the plate of CNN, Microsoft, Fox, et al. as a side dish to add a little color and spice to the bland and predictable entrée.
Social Movements, 1768-2004
Yes indeed, this was a dry read. I do not doubt Tilly's intellect or intents, yet he could've benefited from a contemporary writing class or two.
As with a couple of our other books, much ground is covered in a short amount of pages. Abolitionism to the WTO. Most with quite a bit of historical setting and note.
I personally don't agree with a chunk of his beliefs/statements. Though it may be the language he uses that has thrown me off.
The idea (as that's all it is) of WUNC for instance. "Worthiness" and his definition is so subjective and potentially provocative. Who's to say if a movement is worthy or shows the proper "sober demeanor"? While signs of unity are sure to impress some folks, is it any less impressive to see a hugely diverse crowd all marching for the same cause?
That said, at least half of Tilly's thesis points are valid across the board. It is important to analyze movements historically and within context. Knowing the pros and cons of previous movements aid in the planning and execution of contemporary ones.
Especially with the technological advancements in communication over the last half a century, lessons learned and communicated from preexisting movements help new ones.
It's interesting to point out that Tilly is a man on the sidelines. If he has participated in any social movements first hand, he makes no mention of it in this book. He's an academian working a safe distance away from the front lines. This is not to say he's incapable of understanding what he's writing about, just that readers would be well advised to think critically of his theories.
As we are to use Tilly's analytical model in regard to our research projects, it ought to make our individual work more cohesive as a class and easier to make comparisons between project topics. Still, I wonder if there are other ideas out there about social movements that don't tow the line for Tilly.
There's a series of interview clips on YouTube with our man Chuck ...
People’s Movements, People’s Press.
The Journalism of Social Justice Movements.
The most recently published of our assigned books for this class. Yet still so much of the content covers and recovers the history of various related peoples, subjects, etc. While these history lessons are valuable, and it is interesting to read different authors takes on how we’ve gotten to today, one would’ve hoped there’d been a bit more info on contemporary issues/movements/happenings.
Perhaps this can be attributed to the ease of studying and ruminating on history, versus the risk of commenting on modern topics and potentially getting something wrong. Hmm.
The handful of chapters in this book do a good job of pointing out the circumstances surrounding both the issues and the (often brave) people that were associated with various publications.
From the Suffragist and Abolitionist movements, the Gay and Lesbian press, to the Sierra Club and like-minded environmentalists.
I was particularly impressed with the chapter on the Underground GI Press.
I’d no previous knowledge of it. It’d not occurred to me that the peace/anti-war movements of the time would’ve been taken up by the Americans it affected the most, those in the military.
And after reading about it, hopped on the Internet in hopes of finding some archived stories or other information.
Unfortunately, James Lewes “Protest and Survive: Underground GI Newspapers during the Vietnam War.” Goes for $85 on Amazon. There is an interesting website shedding more light on this (and more) at http://www.sirnosir.com
According to a 2006 article in Utne titled “Soldiers for Peace: GIs could lead the way out of Iraq.” The GI anti-war movement showed up for every major peace march from 1965 to 1972. The underground GI press swelled to more than 100 newspapers. And according to Pentagon records, there were 503,926 'incidents of desertion' between 1966 and 1971.
The correlation between Vietnam and Iraq are often made nowadays. But a negative side affect of modern technology is the authorities ability to control it. Military personnel in Iraq are being monitored and/or censored in their Internet and telephone communications. It seems the Vietnam era activists had a tad more freedom by comparison.
The Art of Protest
Culture and Activism from the Civil Rights Movement to the Streets of Seattle
I found this to be one of the more engaging books in our collection of readings for the quarter. Reed has a good documentary voice, straightforward and informative. In ten succinct chapters (11 if one checks out the interesting online ‘bonus chapter’) a lot of ground is covered.
In chronological order we learned of a variety of social movements and activisms. Though the author mostly focused on these just within America and only in the last fifty years, the breadth and scope of the issues and peoples covered was an admirable undertaking. And served as a good introduction for anyone lacking in personal or academic knowledge regarding the areas and ideas addressed.
Some of the chapters I found to be of particular interest included:
Chapter two, Scenarios for Revolution: The Drama of the Black Panthers. I’d heard of the Black Panther Movement, and had an idea of the issues associated with it, but to be honest, most of my visual recollections were from old movies like Dirty Harry and Shaft. In a way this makes some sense because of the ‘street theater’ used by the Black Panthers to draw attention to their movement. Any time a person other than a uniformed law enforcement or military figure is seen brandishing a firearm in public, it’s certain to get noticed and make an impression.
Chapter six, “We are (not) the World” Famine, Apartheid, and the Politics of Rock Music. As mentioned in chapter one, protest music has been around for ages. Yet in the Eighties political and social issues were spread to a worldwide audience via pop stars like never before. Not only with the Live Aid and Farm Aid concerts, but also with songs recorded by the likes of U2 and Artists United against Apartheid. Though it’s difficult to say if the issues conveyed had any lasting impression on the audience at large, some of the causes were benefited more than others.
Chapter seven, ACTing UP against AIDS: The (Very) Graphic Arts in a Moment of Crisis. This chapter was interesting to me as I have vague recollections of the early era of the AIDS epidemic and associated news coverage. And I was a fan of Keith Harring’s art. I also recall the ‘Silence = Death’ campaign. While it wasn’t until the greater populous realized that HIV/AIDS affected anyone and everyone that the issue became a mainstream concern, it seems that the early ACT UP (and similar groups) activists had done the research and laid the groundwork for ‘popular’ acceptance by the public and celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John.
Lastly, I’d recommend chapter eleven. The ‘bonus’ online chapter. “Peace Symbols: Posters in Movements against the Wars in Vietnam and Iraq” Well worth reading.
Communication Revolution
Critical Junctures and the Future of Media
Like Dan Gillmor in "We The Media" here we find another learned author that has high hopes for a media revolution. Be it happening before our eyes, or in the years and decades to come.
Again there is a timeline given wherein the main stream media is seen as a lumbering behemoth that will eventually be brought down by its own weight and sloth. Particularly when faced off with the new faster, more agile, and intrepid indy media sorts.
The history and insights McChesney touches on in chapter two are of particular note.
I was impressed by the author's own admitted lack of knowledge or expertise in some areas, such as his mention of the conversation he'd had with a colleague regarding the 1984 Nicaraguan elections. Though he does seem to fixate on Marx for an extended number of pages.
His idea that we are in the midst of a 'critical juncture' certainly seem true enough. But who's to say if the world will end up with a powerful and useful citizen media? The powers that be are still holding most of the cards.
I found the extensive 'Notes' section to be somewhat odd. Sixty plus pages!
I suppose it's better to be an optimist, but a grain of salt out to be taken with such high-minded ideological aspirations.
Still, receiving a tip of the hat from none other than Noam Chomsky has to account for something, right?
