I’m always astonished by the choices the local mainstream media makes when it comes to granting news coverage.
Right now I won’t belabor the point that dead Black guys on the Eastside don’t get top billing when it comes to mass media headlines. For reason we all pretend to ignore. Even worse, most media scholars (like myself) tend to agree that TV news and most other mainstream media news outlets tend to focus on the trivial. It’s a chicken and the egg debate given that the public allegedly require so many fluff stories and sensationalism to hold their interest. In the end, most newsies stay in the black and on the payroll by serving up a steady diet of junk food for the brain.
The latest example of lazy mainstream media decisions is that Westboro Baptist Church is in the midst of a Kansas City tour that should go mostly ignored if editorial decision makers cared more about the affairs of this town than attracting a crowd to their ongoing rhetorical car wrecks.
I know, I know. In the process of exposing the media hypocrisy I’m force to “name the puppy” also when it comes to the Phelps Clan.But get over that bit of cognitive dissonance and follow along for the much more important conclusion.
I am a bit encouraged because
jojo
tony…please sit down..i don’t want you to
have a heart attack or faint…but…I agree with
you on this one…
YOU ARE 100% RIGHT ON THIS TOPIC. WHEN WILL THE
MEDIA STOP COVERING THESE DISPICABLE PEOPLE
AND SPREADING THEIR MESSAGE.
Vic Throxton
This was laughable on the news. It made me think of The Blues Brothers Movie and the scene were Jake and Elwood happen upon some Nazi’s. I do not recall who says “I hate nazi’s” before running through them. The same thing need to happen to these wackado’s and their false teachings.
Gavin
Unbelievable. I agree with Tony and jojo. Of course, I grew up in Topeka (even went to junior high and high school with some of the Phelpses), so learning to ignore them is a skill that I developed over time. Hopefully people will figure it out because the only thing these bastards really get off on is publicity. Take that away and they will be forced to do something even more outrageous and, eventually, they will do something that actually gets them into real trouble. The first step is ignoring them and refusing to engage with them when they’re picketing an event you are attending.
Bob Sacamano
Okay, who wrote Tony’s blog today? Can’t be Tony, makes too much sense.
Becky de Wit
I like what this student at the University of Illinois-Chicago did. He invited groups the WBC generally protests to set up tables and solicit donations. All donations were given in the name of the WBC. This is the ideal protest for this group: make the groups profit from the hatred of the Phelps gang in their own name.
Here’s video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Of_2ykZpQ
Mick
What the hell? It must be Bizzaro Thursday because I’m agreeing with Tony for probably the first time ever. This is freakin me out man!
newbaum turk
By chance a few months ago I was in Leavenworth the day of a soldiers funeral. Phelp’s followers were at an intersection not on the funeral route. At the stop light I noticed nobody else was paying them any attention whatsoever, the way it should be. Now if only the media would get a clue.