[Boston-editorial] To all editors: Fact-Checking the Herald for center column

[Matthew Williams]

I don't really have strong feelings on this one. In favor of featuring, 
yes, it is an important issue. Against featuring it, yes, it's a bit 
dated--plus it's a reprint from elsewhere--although it's from /The 
Student Underground/, another alternative media source, which is not 
the kiss of death it would be if it was from a mainstream source like 
/The Boston Globe/ or even /The Harvard Crimson/ (I say the last 
because their article on the protest against CIA recruitment that 
someone posted definitely qualifies as something I would not want to 
feature).

I agree with Sofia that we should not be bound to mainstream ideas of a 
news cycle. The mainstream media generally only covers issues if 
there's some "hook", an event that they can hang their story on. This 
means chronic, persistent problems (like the on-going economic crisis 
in El Salvador) don't get the coverage they deserve. On the other hand, 
some stories are really about particular events, such as the /The 
Herald's/ printing an article that defames anarchists. At this point, I 
agree with Pete, it is kind of dated.

Now, if someone wanted to do a general article about anarchists in the 
Boston area and misunderstandings about them, using /The Herald/ 
article as an example of such misunderstandings, I think that would 
probably be a good article. It would address some of the issues that 
Sharpie and Pete were raising in relation to my article about the 
popular misconceptions about anarchists and anarchism, even among many 
progressives. And it would probably make a lot of Boston area 
anarchists happy with us (not that I think they're made at us right now 
or anything).

-- Matt

On Apr 14, 2005, at 12:34 PM, Sofia JarrinT wrote:

> Pete,
> I totally hear your concern and the Editorial list is
> public so everyone can read them. I'm not trying to
> exclude you.  I'm just curious to know what other
> people in the Editorial group might think (instead of
> just Matt).
>
> Let's focus on the issue.  I think the article it's
> still timely because the issues at stake are
> important. It's not just about the Herald, it's about
> giving a voice to ABC on our site.  I actually don't
> like how newspapers work on deadlines and drop
> important issued because they're "old news". El
> Salvador is "old news" and yet Cheney uses any chance
> he gets to make it an "exemplary country" in tune with
> US national interests.
>
> I think our site gives us the freedom to focus on the
> issues.
>
> If other members of the group don't think is a good
> idea centering it, I'll respect the communal decision
> on this.
>
> best
> sofia
>
>
> --- Pete Stidman <pstidman at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Note to everyone, please do not center this unless
>> you
>> can convince me that we should.  The article is over
>> a
>> n=month old.  I think it is from february.
>>
>> I wouldn't be such a stickler on this but Sophia has
>> not mentioned in her email that I opposed it and I
>> feel like she is trying to make this into a majority
>> rule decision while not addressing my concerns.
>>
>> please do not center this until discussion resolves
>> this issue.  It is not fair to try and exclude me
>> from
>> this decision.
>>
>> -Pete
>>
>>
>> --- Sofia JarrinT <sofiajt at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> hi there,
>>>
>>> I'm not yet an editor, but here are the reasons
>> why
>>> I
>>> think the following article should be centered:
>>>
>>>
>>
> http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display/35006/index.php
>>>
>>> - the article published by the Herald and
>> mentioned
>>> in
>>> the article above was a clear defamation not only
>> of
>>> anarchist student groups but also of DNC
>> protesters.
>>> It bundled both of them together, therefore trying
>>> to
>>> misinform the public of real concerns that
>>> protesters
>>> had at that event.
>>>
>>> - the worst thing about the Herald article was its
>>> attempt to tie links between ABC and AlQaeda,
>> which
>>> is
>>> something that the Bush administration has tried
>> to
>>> do
>>> with many groups expressing dissent. Therefore,
>> the
>>> trend becomes anarchists=protesters=AlQaeda. Same
>>> policy followed in the Middle East right now that
>>> all
>>> groups of dissent are terrorists.
>>>
>>> - anarchist groups as a whole have been demonized
>> by
>>> corporate media, including the New York Times and
>>> Washington Post. Demonized them and again, bundled
>>> together with protesters.  I think they deserve
>>> space
>>> on our center column.
>>>
>>> - ABC really stepped up to the plate during the
>>> anti-war protest last month.  They paid bail for
>>> those
>>>
>>> arrested.
>>>
>>> cheers,
>>> Sofia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 		
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