Opening Statement from Indymedia at AARM's Race and Media Panel Discussion

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Good evening. My name is Ted Forsyth and I’m a journalist with Rochester Indymedia.

Indymedia—also known as the Independent Media Center—is a grass-roots, all-volunteer, decentralized, autonomous news network. Indymedia was born out of the protests against the World Trade Organization in 1999 on the streets of Seattle, Washington.

Leading up to the protests, media activists and independent journalists were concerned that the corporate media would portray the protesters in a negative light as well as ignore their substantive concerns regarding global corporate control and trade policy. These media activists were correct in their assessment: the corporate media succeeded in vilifying protesters and denouncing or ignoring critical questions surrounding global trade policy. At that moment, Indymedia offered something different—a counter-narrative to what the corporate media were disseminating—a narrative that included a critical analysis of free trade policy and reporting directly from the streets where nonviolent protesters were the targets of police violence. They did this through a website, a pirate radio station, cable access TV, and a daily newspaper. The work was voluntary, the resources shared, and the decision-making democratic.

When we talk about narratives, we’re talking about stories—not just the facts of the story, but how the story is told and from what perspective. This constitutes what media theorists call “framing.” Framing a story includes what facts are emphasized and downplayed; it can include the use of stereotypes as well as utilizing dichotomies to demarcate the good from the bad. Framing also allows for control over the scope of the discussion in the public realm. These are all very important components when discussing issues of representation about communities of color within the mass media—especially in light of recent events.

A few days ago I sat down and reviewed a sampling of some 19 stories about Tyquan Rivera. Those stories came from corporate media outlets—outlets represented here, tonight. One of the first rhetorical questions asked was something like, “How could this have happened?” That question framed a lot of the debate. First it was the juvenile offender system; then it was his family, then the community, the schools, Tyquan’s lack of values, his mental stability, not enough youth prisons… the list, no doubt, has continued.

What I viewed was a systematic framing of inner-city youth—black male youth—as violent criminals that had to go to jail in order to prevent future tragedies. And that’s very important—that this tragedy could have been prevented. It’s important because it creates an opening for the city and police to demand money for more mechanisms of social control, punishment, and imprisonment—an expansion of what’s called the prison industrial complex—an expansion on the criminalization of youth and poverty.

At this point I’d like to insert a counter-narrative—one that won’t be popular among the corporate media outlets that have relationships—both personal and economic—with the power structures of the city, which include the mayor, the police, the politicians, and big business. The counter-narrative comes from an email read over the airwaves of WDKX. An eye-witness described the events leading up to the point where Tyquan is accused of shooting officer DiPonzio. This counter-narrative has never been reported by the corporate press. Those facts are:

One: Police entered the house where Tyquan was present by pushing themselves through the front door, without a warrant,

Two: The eye-witness watched Tyquan get punched and kicked repeatedly by police officers, and saw him fall down the stairs after a police officer came up the stairs after him,

and Three: police then left the house without arresting or charging any of the people present.

The corporate press has been very good about publicizing the part where Tyquan allegedly fired into the cops—but not so well on the alleged brutality or warrant-less entry into a private residence.

It should be stated that Tyquan did not turn himself in to authorities to confess to the crime. The police had been tearing his neighborhood apart looking for him, so he decided to turn himself in. Tyquan has always maintained his innocence.

We’re talking about narratives and we’re talking about how those narratives are framed and who frames them. Indymedia creates space for people to tell their own stories from their own perspectives with their own frameworks. Indymedia uses open-publishing technology and an open editorial collective that thrives on community participation and content. Rochester Indymedia is one chapter of over 150 chapters around the world and we can be found at Rochester.Indymedia.org.

Thanks to AARM for inviting Rochester Indymedia to be on the panel tonight.

And thanks to all of you for coming out tonight.