Journalism or Propaganda?

From TC Indymedia:

It's clear that an increasingly broad slice of the Twin Cities community is beginning to realize that the RNC brought an unprecedented, totally unjustified wave of police abuse and intimidation. The police abuse cut across such a broad spectrum that the whole event has catalyzed many segments of activists around the Cities; rather than divide us, the RNC has created a broad movement towards unity and strength.

This week, a series of public forums are addressing the ugly impact of the RNC, and at every turn people are sharing new details and building more momentum towards holding the authorities accountable. Tonight at 7:30 at the Walker Church in Minneapolis (31st Street & 16th Avenue in Powderhorn) there will be a panel on police tactics. Event here, details below too. There will be a public hearing of the St. Paul City Council tomorrow evening about the RNC, which should be highly significant. (Daily Planet story)

Last night at the U of M's Coffman Memorial Union Theater, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held a panel, "Your Credentials, Please: The Media and Law Enforcement at the RNC -- What went wrong, what went right?" Corporate media, the alternative media, Assistant St. Paul Police Chief Matt Bostrom and various community activists sparred over the definition of what constitutes a journalist (which the emcee tried to maintain as the main thrust of the discussion). TheUptake.org was on the scene, broadcasting live. Useful liveblog notes from MPR's Bob Collins too.

However, as the evening unfolded, more and more people spoke up on the police violence, the horrible treatment of the media, and how the "embedding" farce worked. Longtime alt media folks like Ed Felien and Lydia Howell spoke up on how the corporate types didn't really convey the messages of protesters, as well as the strings that seem to be attached to corporate media lackeys. Accounts of the huge collision of media and police derailed an apparent attempt to pigeonhole the independent media, and what seemed an effort to discredit our colleagues at Submedia.TV and Pepperspray Productions (the emcee tried to draw a corny line between "pepperspray journalists" and citizen journalists.)

This brought out an interesting defensive reaction from the establishment types, including Jason DeRusha and a WCCO producer, who revealed new details about secret rules restricting embedded reporters' product, which Bostrom was forced to admit existed. We learned that corrupt Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher personally selected which journalists to release from the Marion Street Bridge fiasco based upon whether they had Xcel Center credentials (get out of jail free cards!). St. Paul Police spokesman (copflack?) Tom Walsh also apparently personally selected a U of M photo journalist to fish out of jail after everyone got "dispersed" to the Marion Street bridge.

Interestingly, some lady from WCCO who is a 'sworn officer' as well as a journalist was used by the event emcee as a foil to let Bostrom avoid answering harsh questions, such as whether it was acceptable for the police to attack dispersing crowds, as happened on a great many occasions. Bostrom also could not explain how the (defective) warrant leading to the preemptive raid against iWitness Video on Iglehart Avenue occurred - a signal event indicating some kind of policy of creating prior restraint and chilling effects against journalists.

The community effort to expose every detail of police abuse and the politicians' obscene lapses in judgment continues, and at every turn we are learning more and more. Twin Cities Indymedia stands with our colleagues at Twin Cities Daily Planet, Minnesota Independent, The Uptake, and even, increasingly, the troubled mainstream old guys in exposing everything that happened, as well as the ongoing, covert and inept harassment still unfolding