The Dismissal of #occupywallstreet

When you turn on the news and see footage about the #occupywallstreet protesters who have set up a camp in the middle of Manhattan, there is a collective dismissal of the group. Some commentators refer to them as left wing radicals, socialists, and hippies. But if you take a look at who is really occupying these rallies, you will see a diverse group of people aligned against the mass of wealth held by the richest one percent. Protest montages range from business men to hippies, and from teamsters to freelance workers.

It is a perfectly acceptable thing for Americans to protest and assemble freely as long as no one gets harmed. The Tea Party movement is a reaction to the US Government handing out bailouts to big banks and encroaching on our health care system. It is only right that someone protests these giant corporations who profit off of government subsidies and refuse to distribute the wealth amongst those who are actually working for the country.

Media Dismissal

While the Tea Party movement has gained astounding press coverage from Fox News, the network has dismissed the #occupywallstreet protesters as criminals and vandals. This unfair treatment proves that the network is unbalanced. On The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, they compared the striking similarities of both movements and then aired a montage of criticisms commentators on the network made about the rally.

Most local news organizations are not giving much attention to the rallies either. It might be because they don’t find it a newsworthy story, or they just don’t want to cover it.

Social Media Support

While most of the mainstream media is dismissing this political activist movement, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are becoming a common gathering place for all who want to get involved. Tech Support and computer technology have made it possible for protesters in every major city to start an #occupy event of their own.

GOP Candidate Statements

The GOP candidates for the 2012 election have a wide array of opinions over the matter. Herman Cain, the former pizza parlor owner and current talk radio host, of New York said to The Wall Street Journal “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself!” Frontrunner Mitt Romney was caught off guard by a reporter as he hopped into his van and said that he was only concerned with the White House not Wall Street.

The one Republican presidential candidate who does support the #occupywallstreet rallies is former Governor of Louisiana Buddy Roemer. He claims that most jobs in America come from Main Street and that when Wall Street decides to close down a manufacturing plant and send it to China, Main Street is the group being hurt the worst. While this statement is bold, he is not a frontrunner and not receiving any media coverage.

Aftermath

The limited media coverage and widespread social networking of #occupywallstreet ultimately teaches us that the traditional cable news coverage is slowly becoming obsolete. Social networks are unfiltered communication channels that allow users to access information more suitable and tailored to their interests than the three big cable networks. It also allows every opinion to be heard without the fear of gate keepers, editors, or dismissive commentators.