A Christian university is being investigated by the federal government for possible human trafficking violations. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Yeah. A Christian university is being investigated by the federal government for possible human trafficking violations. Wow. I looked at […]
Climate activists recently blocked the entrances to major corporate news outlets in a protest over the lack of attention being paid to climate change. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Climate activists recently blocked the entrances to major corporate news outlets […]
Some of Russia’s wealthiest citizens have been found dead since the start of the conflict with Ukraine, which could be a clear sign that Russia is still trying to punish dissent. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins joins me to talk about this story, and many others. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by […]
The biggest producers of baby formula on the planet have been pushing their products relentlessly to consumers. And now that a devastating disease has been linked to their products in premature babies, the public is finally starting to pay attention. Mike Papantonio is joined by attorney Sara Papantonio to explain what’s happening. Click here to […]
An analysis of IRS data has revealed that the wealthiest Americans are paying income tax rates far lower than working class Americans – and the usual suspects are the ones paying the least. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: An […]
Ron DeSantis’s attacks on Disney haven’t phased the company one bit – but Florida taxpayers could feel the pressure very soon. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Department of Justice, I say it again and again, if it’s not low […]
The Biden administration has made a dangerous decision to NOT regulate chemicals from jet fuel that are contaminating water supplies for millions of Americans. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: It’s inevitable. It’s gonna, they’re gonna unionize. The, you know, […]
5 million refugees are fleeing the Ukraine without much of a plan to tell them what we’re going to do to help them, as they leave that war torn country. Mike Papantonio is joined by Donniya Davies from the Sanctuary Foundation to talk about what we can do to welcome Ukrainian refugees into our community. Transcript: *This […]
Amazon is so scared of their workers forming a union that they’ve banned words like “union” from the company’s chat app for workers. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Amazon is so scared of their workers forming a union that […]
America’s Lawyer E02: Russian oligarchs are dying at an unusually high rate, with half a dozen found dead since the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. We’ll be looking at these deaths and what it could possibly mean as this conflict drags on. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared War on Disney, but taxpayers in […]
On episode 75 of Cut to the Chase:, Mike Papantonio Senior Partner at the powerful Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm in Pensacola, Florida discusses the latest development in the world of mass torts-cow based milk formula for premature babies. The formula is causing life threatening gastronintestinal disorders of the worst kind and he is leading […]
Toxic chemicals called PFAS are being spread across the globe in alarming amounts, and a new report warns about the dangers of these chemicals now being spread through the air. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins joins me to talk about this, and many other issues today. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Click here to find out more […]
CNN recently launched a streaming app that has already become a massive failure because they didn’t seem to realize that nobody wants to pay for their corporate media garbage. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: CNN recently launched a streaming app […]
Be our guest at our creative activism cocktail hour!
On Thursday, May 26, from 7-9pm, we’re taking over the coolest bar in town to share how we’ve been using creativity to protect the freedom to vote, in Florida and beyond.
We want to hear what you’ve been up to and if there are ways we can help. Join us for drinks, dialogue, and saving democracy.
We’ll be in Orlando working with our partner QLatinx, All Voting is Local, and other activists and artists working on local pro-voting efforts, developing new artistic activism campaigns to support Floridians in this year’s midterm elections. It’s our first big, in-person workshop since COVID and we’re making the most of it: by meeting you!
Give us a head’s up that you’re coming by RSVPing below, and we’ll share the super secret location with you and anything else you need to know.
Want to know more about the work we’ve already done in Florida? Check out ¿En Serio Loca? VOTA! — a one-of-a-kind queer celebration of voting at last year’s Orlando Pride — and our expansive Unstoppable Voters program.
President Biden’s approval rating is getting worse by the minute and his embarrassing behavior is now being mocked on TV in places like Saudi Arabia. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: President Biden’s approval rating is getting worse by the […]
America’s Lawyer E01: Amazon is banning certain words like “union” and “pay raise” from a company app for employees, as they grow more and more terrified of an organized workforce. We’ll bring you the details. President Biden’s approval rating is in a freefall, and his behavior has gotten so bad that even Saudi Arabia is […]
The narratives coming from the corporate media are only getting worse, and independent progressive media outlets are doing everything they can to fight back. But it can be hard to keep track of all of them. Investigative reporters Alex Kotch and Walker Bragman have put together the OptOut news service to help bring news that […]
There is a dark web of money that funds climate change denial to the tune of millions of dollars every single year. This is what makes it so difficult to counter the narratives being put forth by the deniers, as there is no well-funded climate urgency fund helping those who are trying to push for […]
At the latest edition of Revolutionizing Activism: Using Humor When Things Are Dire, Caty Borum Chattoo (Center for Media and Social Impact/ Yes, And… Laughter Lab) kicked off our discussion by underscoring the significance of humor across cultures and histories. Borum Chatoo notes: we find comedy in the most oppressive conditions over and over again, precisely because we need comedy. Alongside Ricardo Del Bufalo and Lola Joksimović, Borum Chatto makes a strong case for how comedy can work as a force for social change, and we’re giving you some quick tips on how to incorporate humor in your own advocacy work.
Why should you incorporate humor into your advocacy?
Well, for advocates, humor has the power to make people optimistic, attract new supporters, and mobilize a base of people who are exhausted by doom and gloom. According to Borum Chattoo, comedy and social change “have a synergistic power because social justice requires that we see a situation through a different lens, which is precisely how you make someone laugh – you have to find something outside the status quo.”
Here are three tips for how you can incorporate humor in your advocacy:
1. Hire A Comedian!
Ricardo Del Bufalo’s advice? “Don’t try to be funny if you’re not! Hire someone who is and partner with comedians.” Del Bufalo also notes, “I think for any human rights organizations or sectors that aren’t taking comedy seriously, we notice that leaders take comedy seriously enough to be afraid of it. We know how potent comedy is when it comes to activating descent and getting people to think in different ways.”
2. Play, Play, Play!
Lola Joksimović offers, “jokes tend to upset those without imagination. Let us actually educate future generations to be able to keep their minds open, curious, and react positively with a great deal of solidarity and love for the world they are living in.” Del Bufalo buttressed this further: “creativity is about playing like we’re kids, even though we can talk about horrible situations, we can use comedy to play with how we feel about the situation.”
3. Lean Into Absurdity!
Borum Chattoo breaks down the science of why we laugh: “we laugh when there’s a joke because of the incongruity. This is why comedy and social justice have such synergistic power –social justice requires that we see a situation through a different lens than we see the status quo. To make someone laugh, you have to find something absurd. The incongruity of the situation is where the actual laugh comes in.”
We hope you check it out, and let us know what you think about the power of humor for advovacy.
For more information about Revolutionizing Activism, click here.
The state of Florida is working to become one of the most oppressive states in the nation, as Republican Ron DeSantis continues to stress culture war issues. But behind his assault on our rights lies an economy that is in utter shambles, with more and more workers and residents struggling to stay above water. Ring […]
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is finalizing a plan to “decarbonize” buildings in her state. Carbon and other emissions from buildings using gas for electricity is one of the top sources of emissions across the country, and states are being forced to tackle the problems on their own since the federal government isn’t doing much […]
Republican-controlled state legislatures have decided to launch an all-out assault on the transgender community, specifically targeting children with their hate-filled bills. This assault is going to get people killed, and it feels like that’s the entire point of what they are doing right now. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins talks with Twitch streamer Tiffany Starr […]
When the child tax credit payments expired at the beginning of the year, millions of children in the country were immediately thrust back into poverty after having temporary relief. Poverty is a policy choice, without question, and we proved that we can change that with minimal effort. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins talks with Jacobin […]
One striking feature of the “freedom convoy” protests in Ottawa, Wellington and elsewhere has been the intense antagonism towards “mainstream media” (MSM).
These antagonisms are expressed not only in now familiar descriptions of MSM journalists as sinister agents of a wider power elite, coupled with pity or scorn for the befuddled “sheeple” who believe everything they hear in the media.
They can also take an uglier, more menacing form. Witness the clip circulating on Twitter of protesters spitting on CTV journalists in Vancouver. Or earlier reports of New Zealand journalists being “punched and belted with umbrellas” or harassed in person and online.
These kinds of encounters are becoming more common. Increased violence against journalists, particularly women journalists, has been a feature of the global rise of far-right politics.
This anti-media rhetoric has a clear “us” versus “them” dynamic. People start to define their own identities in opposition to the “MSM”. The media are framed as enemies (one of a gallery of interchangeable enemies) in ways that destroy the distinctions between journalism and propaganda, journalism and ideology, journalism and politics.
This language is then normalised in far-right media channels, sometimes with considerable success that might leave one wondering about the precise location of the mainstream: a livestream broadcast from one Facebook channel linked to the Wellington protests apparently had more views than the videos broadcast on The New Zealand Herald’s website.
Distrust of corporate media The abuse and harassment of journalists trying to do their jobs are worrying. Journalists are right to suggest these attacks are an attack on democracy and the best democratic ideals of journalism.
At the same time, the cultural politics driving the antagonism to mainstream media and journalism are not as straightforward as is sometimes assumed.
In an official public sphere preoccupied with online disinformation and misinformation, one could be forgiven for thinking the problems could be fixed if people stopped feeding the social media algorithms and affirmed their trust in corporate news media instead.
It’s also not enough for journalists to insist (in good faith) they do nothing more than present balanced and objective news coverage — as if the vast academic literature documenting the problems with these professional rationalisations didn’t exist.
Distrust of authority … Wellington District Commander Corrie Parnell speaks to media during the protests at Parliament. Image: The Conversation/GettyImages
Defining ‘mainstream media’ The increasingly reactionary connotations of contemporary references to the “MSM” need historical context.
Like the “media” itself, the term “mainstream media” is a relatively recent invention. My research suggests academic scholars only started routinely referring to something called “mainstream media” from the 1980s onwards.
The term is nearly always taken for granted, as if it is perfectly obvious what the mainstream media is. But only 20 or 30 years ago, the term was associated primarily with left-wing critiques of capitalist media, and proposals for alternative media models.
We still hear those arguments today, and there are good reasons for critiquing mainstream media. The destructive impact of the market on contemporary journalism is more profound than it was in the 1980s and 1990s.
And there is an ironic dimension to the anti-media rhetoric of the convoy protesters, given that they benefit from the commercial appeal of “wall-to-wall mainstream media coverage”.
Into the rabbit hole However, the meaning of media critique can become confused in a political context where the people who seem most critical of media and journalism are aligned to the far right.
This, in turn, can alter perceptions of the alternative. The online “rabbit hole” becomes a potential site of empowerment and agency — an archive of resources for mocking the conventions of “left-wing”, “woke” media.
But just because the ideological connotations of “MSM” have shifted, it does not mean the differences between authoritarian and democratic media criticism dissolve.
On the contrary, making such distinctions is more important now than ever. Being able to thoughtfully analyse how various media construct or define the world we live in is vital for our democracy.
Our democracies would be in even more trouble than they already are if anyone voicing suspicion of mainstream media was dismissed as a conspiracy theorist. It would be a world where the far right has successfully monopolised the terms of media criticism.
Ideological confusion Nonetheless, the politically confused nature of media criticism today is a symptom
of a general ideological confusion that has accelerated during the pandemic and found another expression in the “freedom” convoys.
Talking points that might have once sounded inherently progressive start to float in unpredictable and chaotic ways. (A case in point: listening to one livestream broadcast from inside the Wellington convoy, I heard what sounded like an attempt to link the rhetoric of the sovereign citizen movement to notions of Māori sovereignty and self-determination.)
Anyone committed to a culture of vibrant democracy needs to be alert to this ideological confusion. We need to minimise the chances of our own political and media critiques compounding the problem and be vigilant for reactionary rhetoric that loves to blur left-right boundaries.
Our defence of journalists against “aspirational fascists” should be unambiguous. But our democratic imaginations will be seriously impoverished if the public conversation is reduced to a Manichean alternative of wild, paranoid denunciations of the “MSM” versus unquestioning support of our present media systems.
An event moderated by Ibou Niang, Head of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, and featuring Aaron Gach of the Center for Tactical Magic, Alanna Coady a doctoral student in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), and Maanasa Guram from Free the Vaccine.
In this conversation, panelists spoke about generosity as practice and strategy, and how we can better lean into creative and experimental activist practices that are grounded in a love ethic.
For more information about Revolutionizing Activism, click here.
Inflation is taking a huge toll on Americans, and corporate profiteers are making the problem worse by inflating prices even further to pad their own pockets. As usual, Republicans are busy blaming all of these problems on President Biden and turning a blind eye to the abuses by these corporations. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins […]
Via America’s Lawyer: U.S. intel investigates the Zero Hedge as a propaganda outlet – simply because its Russian contributors have disavowed war with Ukraine. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: US intelligence agencies are accusing popular news website, Zero Hedge, of spreading […]
Via America’s Lawyer: Congress proposes spending $500 million on anti-China news coverage. Also, Residents of Merrimack, NH report sky-high cancer rates after being exposed to PFAS toxins produced by the neighboring Saint-Gobain manufacturing plant. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: The United […]
Misinformation researchers are concerned the protest at New Zealand’ s Parliament is becoming a “free-for-all” as the idea of any leadership within the blockade area slips away.
In recent days, the messaging among the occupation has noticeably fractured and with a number of people joining in, including influential personalities such as yachtsman Sir Russell Coutts, singer Jason Kerrison, and New Zealand First Party leader Winston Peters.
Kerrison did a series of Facebook Live videos on Tuesday, where he said he was capturing his own experiences — noting he did not “quite know what’s happened”.
He later ended up on Molesworth Street, where a man was earlier arrested for driving a vehicle towards a line of police officers, stopping just before he would have hit them.
Other than being aware of a “commotion”, Kerrison instead referred to an incident from Monday where police officers had human faeces thrown over them, claiming it did not happen and that people should stop being “hypnotised” by mainstream news and “that stupid scripted rhetoric”.
Kerrison is correct when he suggests throughout his livestreams that there are calm people in the crowd.
But Te Punaha Matatini misinformation researcher Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa said the presence of extreme or far-right views could not be ignored.
It was more noticeable in online channels connected to the protest, Dr Hattotuwa said.
‘Gone in a bad way’
“And I empathise with individuals who don’t know that because it requires a certain degree of subscription to, and connection to and engagement, with the online fora to realise the degree to which this has gone — and gone in a very bad way.”
He said people only present “in front of the Beehive” could be “fooled into thinking that this is about balloons and children …. and good vibes.”
Dr Hattotuwa wanted to know who, from the protest and their supporters, could “distance themselves, disavow and decry the violent ideation online”.
“Those two things, we haven’t seen to date.”
RNZ has spoken to a number of protesters in recent days, and asked if they thought it was okay to be in a crowd that was not necessarily as peaceful as it preaches.
There are signs targeting politicians, media and scientists.
Some did not like that there were death threats. One woman said those people “needed to go” and another said it was “terrible” to get personal and attack politicians.
Others not bothered
But others were not bothered (“That’s all around us mate, that’s every day. You can go to Auckland or Christchurch, or a little town – Eketahuna, you don’t know who’s around.”) or said the threats did not exist (“We haven’t seen anything like that. Everyone’s peaceful, when you go inside there, all you feel is love, all you feel is the emotion of the passion of the people.”).
These fractures appear to be growing in the increasingly individualised crowd and disinformation researcher Byron Clark said it was “becoming a free-for-all”.
Police have acknowledged there was no real leadership, and Clark said there was also more conflicting information and ideas among protesters.
“It makes it very difficult because it means that there’s not really anyone who police can negotiate with or if any politicians were to come out and meet the protesters, there’s not really anyone who can truly claim to represent them.”
He said people were being influenced on mainstream social media, like YouTube and Facebook, before migrating to platforms with less moderation, like Telegram and Rumble.
“So I think social media has been been slow to act and it’s the case now of we probably can’t put that genie back in the bottle. And we have to find other ways to deal with the issue of misinformation online,” Clark said.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Via America’s Lawyer: Congress passes legislation that bans forced arbitration clauses for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Finally tonight, some good news. Congress has passed legislation that would do away with forced arbitration. This […]
