{"article":{"id":7777,"heading":"San Diego News Spin on Bio 2000","author":"DeeDee","created":"2001-06-26 03:36:58","modified":"2001-06-26 04:00:01","last_modified":"Tue, 26 Jun 2001 11:00:01","article":"

Channels 10, 8 and 6 all weighed in on the Bio tech conference and the protests against it. Channel 10 (ABC) had a lengthy report at 10PM which included interviews with patients whose lives \"were saved by high tech biology\". They also interviewed police and officials of the conference. Then the anchor said, \"Well now that we have heard from the protesters, lets hear what the public has to say,\" and went to a few street interviews, the up shot of which was the protesters are ignorant and we need bio tech. There was not one interview with a critic of genetic engineering, or agribusiness. There were absolutely no sound bites from the protestors.

Channels 8 and 6 did have some statements from protesters, but the spin on both news reports (11PM) was, yes there was an overwhelming police presence, but thank God, San Diego didn't turn into a Seattle. As if most of the violence in Seattle wasn't from the police themselves!

However on all of the channels, there was another message: the message of imagery. The shots of the heavily armoured police units (on horse, with dogs, on motorcycles, on speed boats), armed to the teeth with rubber bullets, tear gas cannisters, wooden and metal trucheons (some nearly three feet long) contrasted with the imagery of the protestors: with colorful flower and butterfly costumes, guerrilla theater props, balloons and banners.

For anyone tuning in to the mass media in San Diego, there was little question as to who stood for life and creativity and who represented repression and death.<\/p>\n","contact":"dhalleck@weber.ucsd.edu","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"The usual media distortions try to spin what was a peaceful parade with an oppressive presence: \"San Diego police have saved the city from being another Seattle.\"","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2001\/06\/7777.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}