Granolabox has photos and video of an anti-war protest by ministers in Watkins Glen on Thursday. The protest announcement was an item in the Star-Gazette, but is protest itself didn't get any mainstream media coverage that I saw.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 12:16 — Rob Coats (not verified)
If we citizens do anything to stop the war it will be despite the mainstream media.
We got so many honks of support and thumbs up at that protest. People need validation that others feel the same way about the war, and we won't get that from mainstream media.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 12:27 — Rottenchester
Rob, I thought your coverage was a great example of citizen journalism.
I would imagine the reason that protest didn't get media attention was that the 'protest quota' for the week had been filled, since all of the papers in the 29th had already covered protests earlier in the week.
As the old saw goes: 'Dog bites man' isn't a story because it happens all the time. 'Man bites dog' makes the paper because it's rare. But that doesn't mean that people aren't getting bitten by dogs.
I'm not defending the media, just trying to understand how they function under their constraints of space and time.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 13:46 — Hippie? (not verified)
Every time Bush bites a dog, it always makes the news.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 20:07 — Elmer K (not verified)
Why would a newspaper cover such a small gathering of people? I have more people in my back yard for cook-outs!
The other point to be made is that the Corning and Elmira papers have deployed most of their resources to the race track in Watkins. The protest is about 5 miles to the northeast from where it would have had more impact.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 20:18 — Rottenchester
I think your second point is the reason. When it's a slow news day, more gets covered. When one of the biggest events of the year is going on, then everything else gets less coverage. I'm sure you'll agree that on a slow news day, that protest might have made the paper, even if it's no bigger than the average BBQ at Elmer's house.
So, if your goal as a protester is to get in the paper, protests need to be timed for slow news days, and they need to be spaced out so they don't become routine. The Watkins Glen protest timing did neither of those things, so it didn't make the news.
Sat, 08/11/2007 - 22:39 — Rob Coats (not verified)
Comments
If we citizens do anything to stop the war it will be despite the mainstream media.
We got so many honks of support and thumbs up at that protest. People need validation that others feel the same way about the war, and we won't get that from mainstream media.
Rob, I thought your coverage was a great example of citizen journalism.
I would imagine the reason that protest didn't get media attention was that the 'protest quota' for the week had been filled, since all of the papers in the 29th had already covered protests earlier in the week.
As the old saw goes: 'Dog bites man' isn't a story because it happens all the time. 'Man bites dog' makes the paper because it's rare. But that doesn't mean that people aren't getting bitten by dogs.
I'm not defending the media, just trying to understand how they function under their constraints of space and time.
Every time Bush bites a dog, it always makes the news.
Why would a newspaper cover such a small gathering of people? I have more people in my back yard for cook-outs!
The other point to be made is that the Corning and Elmira papers have deployed most of their resources to the race track in Watkins. The protest is about 5 miles to the northeast from where it would have had more impact.
I think your second point is the reason. When it's a slow news day, more gets covered. When one of the biggest events of the year is going on, then everything else gets less coverage. I'm sure you'll agree that on a slow news day, that protest might have made the paper, even if it's no bigger than the average BBQ at Elmer's house.
So, if your goal as a protester is to get in the paper, protests need to be timed for slow news days, and they need to be spaced out so they don't become routine. The Watkins Glen protest timing did neither of those things, so it didn't make the news.
I don't plan 'em. I just show up at 'em.