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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Media ‘unoccupied’ with protests

Published 2011-10-18T19:18:00Z”/>

opinion

Jake Buffenbarger

Protesters all over the country have risen up in noble effort to bring attention to the financial inequality that plagues this great nation.

The Protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement are standing up to our corrupt financial institutions, which allow the rich to get richer due to their complete control of public policy and perception.

However, media outlets like ABC, Fox and MSNBC choose to portray these demonstrators as ignorant, unorganized, unclear and without a concrete demand.

These “news” outlets are negatively framing the issue because they are controlled by the same corporations that stand to lose money if our financial institutions are reformed.

If you turn off cable news and look at the protestor’s signs, the message is crystal clear. Corporations are unjustly manipulating America’s financial and political systems, as well as the citizens who want to reign in control of their country.

This is not some crazy conspiracy theory either. It’s simply capitalists doing what capitalists do best: making a profit.

Armed with billions of dollars, corporations have infiltrated our government though lobbyists that further their agendas in Washington D.C.

Even more horrifying, the Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the First Amendment protects corporate funding of political broadcasts in candidate elections.

In layman’s terms, this allows corporations to drown out the reasoned critique of elected officials with a flood of corporate-funded advertisements.

The mainstream media tell us protesters have no clear vision or plan. They fail to admit that this is the very thing that the Occupy Wall Street movement is about. Average people have no realistic course of action when they are overshadowed by the cooperate world.

In a environment where politics, the economy and the media are controlled by corporations that intend to keep the public unaware of their actions, it’s nearly impossible for an individual to effect change.

The media will continue to feed the public lies that attempt to keep America’s masses in the dark. They are so good at manipulation of public opinion that a great number of misguided Americans will spout tired talking points and defend the institutions that leave them jobless, powerless and penniless.

As French poet Charles Baudelaire once said, “It is the greatest art of the devil to convince us he does not exist.”

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<strong>Jake Buffenbarger can be reached at</strong>

<em>[email protected]</em>

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