What You Don't Hear May Hurt You

When people ask me what I do, I encounter a range of reactions from, "Oh, Amnesty. They helped me when I was going through a political struggle in the Philippines," to "That crazy human rights organization? Aren't you the ones that chained yourselves to that boat?" (That, for the record, was Greenpeace). But the most common reaction is, "If this stuff you're talking about is so important, why haven't I heard about it?" I ask myself that question all the time - why aren't more people hearing about human rights, the environment, and other pressing issues of our day? People like to talk about the liberal or conservative biases of news stations such as CNN and FOX, but the truth is that five for-profit companies control all the media and entertainment channels in the nation, compared to 50 companies in 1985 (See the Columbia Journalism Review for a complete list of who owns what), severely limiting our access to free and unbiased news from any media station.

So why does it matter if a small number of profit-driven corporations own all the media channels? Because media then becomes a ratings game designed to draw viewers, through whatever means necessary, in order to maximize returns for investors. Do media channels have the freedom to report on meaningful topics? Or does privatized media result in sanitized media? We can all argue about who watches FOX versus who watches CNN, but we would be missing the point. We should be asking, "What are we missing by watching mainstream media and how can we take back control of the press?" Attendees of the National Conference for Media Reform asked the same question and many more in Memphis last month. People are beginning to realize that the stories we hear repeated in the media shape the way we live our lives. What we hear becomes what we believe, as the stories we tell ourselves and others become our cultural mythology. What we believe becomes what we do, or what we don't do.

As I talk to people who report watching the news on a regular basis, I find that many of them believe that they are powerless to change the escalating crises faced by our world today. They report feeling depressed, as they believe that the world is on a fast track to destruction and that there is nothing that we can do to stop it. These are feelings fed by sensationalist news media and result from a vacuum of stories about positive steps that people are taking all over the world to change their situations. When the masses believe that they are powerless, they are, and that powerlessness only allows the powerful few to retain an unchecked control over world affairs. What would people's feelings be if they heard stories of hope? If they knew not just what to say no to, but what to say yes to? If they knew how to turn the brewing feeling of hopelessness and despair into positive action? If the stories we tell ourselves became stories of the people taking power?

Organizations such as Journalists for Human Rights, Freepress, and Yes! magazine are beginning to tell these stories. They face powerful opposition, however. For example, when I was in New York, a woman told me about her idea to develop a television show centered around the positive actions of youth, such as youth building homes for Habitat for Humanity, twenty-somethings traveling to the Gulf Coast to help rebuild, or young adults starting their own non-profits and community initiatives. When she pitched the idea to MTV, they turned down the idea before she was finished presenting because "that's not what teenagers want to watch." Another woman I met who works for a national television network said that her boss asked her during a meeting to "develop ideas for showing more tits and ass" because "that's what people want to see." What other stories are we missing because companies believe that the way to retain viewers is by more sensationalist or "reality" television?

A few stories you may not have heard about this year:
1. 350 families who farm one of the largest urban gardens in the United States, a 14-acre plot of land in the middle of a manufacturing district in South Central LA, were forcibly evicted from their "survival plots" to make way for a new manufacturing plant, despite the fact that supporters of the farm offered to pay the $16 million asking price to purchase the land for the community. The owner, Ralph Horowitz, who ordered all the heirloom plants to be uprooted and crushed, claims that the manufacturing plant will provide jobs for this underemployed area. The residents claim that they will not have enough to eat, and that their only community meeting place has been destroyed. The farmers, however, are not giving up, and have continued to garner support for a new community garden space as well as to fight for their rights. The farmers said that a stronger community formed because of the struggle, and that they are now living the democratic process (South Central Farmers). The America we believe in stands up for equal rights for all its citizens - including the right to an adequate standard of living. We deserve community spaces, the right to deny that industrial growth is the best thing for our communities, and to affirm the community's right to choose what is best for that community.

2. Many people agree that the educational system is in disarray. Even mainstream media is happy to report on the failures of our nation's schools. We constantly hear about failing test scores, unqualified teachers, lack of textboooks, crumbling buildings, dwindling parental involvement, school shootings, metal detectors, and more. But have you heard about the communities who are joining together to change the situation? ICOPE, The Independent Commission On Public Education, is a coalition of parents, teachers, and students working together to redesign New York City Public School system so that it respects and educates about human rights (ICOPE). Schools in Olympia, WA, Berkeley, CA, and many other areas are designing curriculum around the production and distribution of food as well as creating spaces for school gardens (Rethinking Schools and The Edible Schoolyard). Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, teachers in the Gulf Coast region are bringing the community together by dedicating themselves to reopening schools and providing education, no matter the obstacles (Teach NOLA). Many more stories like this never reach the public discussion about the state of education in the USA. The America we believe in respects the right to free, public, quality education that honors human rights.

About a year ago, I considered creating a magazine dedicated to these stories of hope. I see people's need for these stories - stories of people claiming their power as citizens and human beings to create change. To go back to the original question - what do I do? I am an activist for change and I am a proponent of hopeful action. And what do I believe? I believe in the power of the people to do amazing things. This world is not lost until hope is lost. Seek out positive news stories so that together we can refashion the stories that we tell one another and change our communities! When you hear of positive news stories in your area, or stories you think others should hear, please e-mail me or post a comment on this blog. I promise that I will make sure others hear the stories, too. Looking forward to hearing from you!