Occupy Mainstream Media

By Anna Manzo
(photo: Scott Harris)

Last week, I ended a blog post with the thought about how it was time to occupy mainstream media.

By that, I mean people who are concerned about issues that directly affect their lives -- politics, economics, social  issues --  should pay attention to what is being presented in the media, whether the news is reported by large multinational corporations,  independent media, nonprofit organizations or citizen bloggers. It's ever more important, given the state of our intertwined global economy.

Average citizens must look at how the news is being presented with a critical eye, to try to connect the dots with reliable sources in a time of economic globalization and crisis.

Journalists are ordinary people who must make a living in a "downsized/rightsized" work environment just like everyone else. As ad revenues have declined with the growth of the Internet, the news industry has seen mass layoffs. In the newsroom where I work,  I've seen how the workload has resulted in smaller staffs with photographers and reporters often covering two or three stories a day as multimedia producers, while editing staff is transitioned to new digital duties, leaving behind an even smaller staff to further edit and lay out copy.

All this means that stories that require in-depth analysis of socioeconomic issues are getting short shrift.

Often, in many newsrooms in across America these days, journalists are grossly underpaid to do their work. Those who stay in this profession, I feel are those who fall into the category of a public servant, providing a public service to their communities. Even before the recent changes, it's always been a hushed secret in our own newsroom that some of the most hard-working news staff had second jobs -- freelancing, waitressing, painting, cleaning offices and even sports team mascot -- to make ends meet for themselves and their families.

Many reporters are well intentioned, like those who work in nonprofits, but it's difficult for these individuals to do their jobs with ideal care and compassion when their energy and attention is divided on so many issues.

Which leads me to the next blog, further explaining my belief that citizens need not only to pay attention to the media, but they must take action on their own to inform themselves and help maintain an informed, participatory democracy. By doing so,  they ensure that our societies value the ability for all to reach their true human potential, for the benefit of our collective humanity and a safer planet on which we all live.