Occupy Wall Street Day 8: Is the MSM Blackout a Good Thing?

by Chad Valenza

OpedNews.com

11:55 AM - Occupy Wall Street receives eviction notice.

Box Score: (as of 12:01 AM September 24, 2011)

Occupy Wall Street Protesters arrested: 21

Wall Street Banksters arrested: 0

No confirmed arrests yesterday as Occupy Wall Street protesters end their first week of occupation and settle into Zuccotti Park a.k.a. Liberty Plaza in NYC.

Crowds during the day were thinned by rain but the Closing Bell March went off as schedules at 4:30 p.m.

Last night, the NYPD provide the OWS media team with a giant picnic umbrella to protect the live video feed and other communications computers from the heavy rains. The media team did a live video shout-out of thanks to the NYPD for their help. 

Tarps and tents are still not allowed in Liberty Plaza at this time.

Several protesters claim to have overheard individual police officers discussing tacit personal, not official, support of the protest.  

The occupiers are generally trying to maintain working relations with the police though some are totally opposed to the police presence and are quick to voice their distrust.

MSM Media Blackout: Commentary

I am a pessimist by nature, yet I'm beginning to wonder if the MSM black-out of Occupy Wall Street this past week isn't a glass half full.   Here's my thinking.

This movement, symbolized by the current occupation of Liberty Plaza (Zuccotti Park) near Wall Street in NYC, is a real grass roots movement and organizing such a movement is difficult and takes time.

In the next few days Occupy Wall Street will have more and more going for it and be better prepared the inevitable MSM close-up and scrutiny.

What's better? a) The occupiers have been here 6 days; or b) The occupiers have been here 8, 15, 21 days, have raised $X tens of thousands in donations, their numbers are growing daily and they intend to stay indefinitely.

What's better? a) Their numbers have grown over the past 7 days; or b) without any significant media coverage Occupy Wall Street held a march Saturday with thousands arriving from all over the country.

What's better? a) We're in the process of developing our Working Principles of Solidarity and our Demands; or b) These are our Principles of Solidarity, this is what we stand for and these are our Demands.

What's better? a) They've occupied NYC's Zucotti Park for 7 days and are expecting more supporters and participants; or b) Occupations are now also under way in X, Y and Z cities.

What's better? a) The occupiers have joined in solidarity with three labor union locals and a few others groups; or b) After just X number of days the list of other organizations joining this effort is too numerous to mention, they include...

As an old public relations man, I know "just spell my name right" is only half the job.   When you start getting serious local, regional and national coverage, both print and TV, you want to do your best to get your message out and prevent the media from perverting it.

I believe Occupy Wall Street will definitely have a better message and be better equipped to deliver it in the coming days.   Stay authentic.   Stay honest.   Keep working on your core beliefs and when show time comes, you're going to be great.