The media doing its thing. Can we handle the truth?
A US magazine cover (above) tells the media's story of the last 2 weeks: raging Muslims are out to get all of us. But it's not true, and together we can set the record straight, and begin changing our broken media for good.
In January, 97% of us voted for Avaaz to build a new people-powered media. Our first big post shows what most media aren't telling us about the protests, and how hilariously and eloquently citizens across the world are responding to the hype. Click to read and share the one article that everyone should see on 'Muslim Rage':
http://www.avaaz.org/en/7_things_you_should_know/?bGglBbb&v=18087
A trashy, Islamophobic video called "The Innocence of Muslims" has been condemned by Muslims and non-Muslims alike worldwide, and caused deep offense among many Muslims. But the anti-film protesters have been a tiny fraction of those who marched for democracy in the Arab spring, and the vast majority of the film protesters have been entirely peaceful.
Mainstream media is not serving the people well enough. But our community of nearly 16 million people is bigger than any news outlet's mailing list, so we have the chance to change the media for good...by becoming the media. Read the post and share it with friends:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/7_things_you_should_know/?bGglBbb&v=18087
Media has incredible power in our societies to shape our perceptions, and politicians often dance to the media's tune. But our media is too corporate, too captured by business and political power, too profit hungry and muck raking, and too superficial to serve its tremendously important public mission. For the sake of peace and understanding between the Islamic world and the West, and a million other urgent needs, we need to do better. Let's get started.
With hope,
Ricken, Nick, Mary, Jamie, Wissam, Diego, Rewan and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION
Media don't get #MuslimRage (CNN)
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/19/opinion/obeidallah-muslims-rage/
Libya, Violence and Free Speech (NY Times)
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/libya-violence-and-free-speech/?ref=global-home
What We Can Learn from the Attacks on U.S. Embassies (Time Magazine)
http://world.time.com/2012/09/14/what-we-can-learn-from-the-attacks-on-u-s-embassies/5/
What was really behind the Benghazi attack? (New Yorker)
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/09/what-was-really-behind-the-benghazi-attack.html
13 powerful images of Muslim Rage (Gawker)
http://gawker.com/muslim-rage/