Running Head: Independent Media Center

Independent Media Center 2

Running head: Independent Media Center

A Review of the

Los Angeles Independent Media Center Web Site

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The website, http://la.indymedia.org/ is being examined and reviewed for this essay. The site is sponsored by The Los Angeles Independent Media Center. The Center is a “non-commercial, democratic collective of Los Angeles area independent media makers and media outlets” (Los Angeles Independent Media Center, n.d.).

Issues and how they are presented on the site

1. Left wing activists support the humane treatment and rights of animals. In an article referenced on the website, the euthanizing of pigeons by animal control was represented as violation of the owner’s rights since the pigeon’s were killed without his permission. After a complaint, animal control confiscated 20 rescued pigeons from Rik Martino and euthanized the pigeons claiming lack of space at the animal shelter. (Ingram, February 2012)

2. Environmental concerns are primary issues with liberals. They take active interests in any issue that they see as over development and increasing impingement on the rights of individuals to a healthy environment. Already in place is the green space requirement which sets percentages of commercial development which must be designated as greens space. A green space (at a minimum) is planted with grass and kept park-like in its maintenance. Developers are given incentives in exchange for additional green space and landscaping. In this article, the left wing is accusing a developer of using unscrupulous means to raise opposition to the green space requirement. (Jan Perry’s Attempt … 2011).

3. A third issue of the left wing is opposition to war. In the article “Occupy the Military Industrial Complex”, protesters staged small demonstrations in front of Boeing, Northrup Grumman and Raytheon, all manufacturers of weapons. Not only are left wing supporters against war under general principles, they object to the huge amounts of money spent on the weapons of war which could be better spent on local needs. (Panna, June, 2012).

4. Women’s rights and the right to choose to have an abortion is an issue supported by the left wing. In several articles written by Brian Elerding in 2009, he wrote favorable about the individuals who were protecting the abortion clinics, but also showed pictures of those praying to stop abortions. The pictures were fairly biased, showing what appear to be educated, intelligent women on the pro-choice side, and what appear to be poor Hispanic immigrants on their knees on the other side. (Elerding, Brian, 2009)

5. The left wing supports are pro labor unions. In LA alone they support the Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and carpenters unions, construction unions, Hollywood unions, firefighters, and the International Workers of the World (IWW), to name a few unions supported by the left wing. The site ran a series of fascinating and attractive photos of the solidarity march in March of 2011.

6. Activists of the left wing believe in feeding homeless and providing health care for underrepresented individuals (such as hepatitis shots for gay and bisexual men).

7. Members of the left wing are mistrustful of the police and police actions, regarding them as authoritarian, oppressive and brutal. On the site, the promotion seemed to be in favor of peaceful demonstrations. With regards to this issue, the sides within the left wing swing from the extreme (violence) to the simply radical. According to a report from Homeland Security, “many, if not most, liberals and leftists do not espouse domestic terrorism or interpersonal violence as a tool to achieve their political ends” (Homeland Security, n.d.).

8. Racial violence and racial inequalities are issues of the left. Many articles on the site mention Nazi’s often as well as apartheid and American slavery, and look at racial issues on an international scale.

The Los Angeles Independent Media Center is described on the page information as a progressive activist site for various areas in the Los Angeles area. Some descriptive words for the site are “social democrat, anarchist, communist, socialist and revolutionary voices” (Page Info, n.d.)

Articles are written by the readers. It is of interest to try to work through a link on the site on one of the listed causes, but was difficult since it is pretty much a media site reporting on news from reliable news sources. However, beginning with one of the stories, “Colton Immigrant Community Meets PD Chief, Demands Justice” there was a link to SoCal Connected, a respectable site supported by UCLA, MaddocksBrown Foundation, Jim & Anne Rothenberg, The California Endowment and the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles. This was an another media site, KCET which broadcasts over the internet. The program SoCal was nominated for 7 local L.A. Emmy Awards. Following one of the supporters, The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, led to a foundation that was begun by a reform-minded physician and his suffragist wife. The foundation awards grants to institutions who research underlying causes of social problems in Los Angeles. Their Board of Trustees was interesting. It was 8 men and one woman. One of the men looked to possibly Afro-American (although extremely light skinned). For a foundation that supports left wing media, they looked to be quite middle-of-the road or even (gasp) right wing based on their small biographical notes. It might be noted that the woman was the president.

The site and the topics were nearly all based on peaceful protests. There didn’t appear to be links to extremist groups. However, the anti-war segment appeared to have the most potential for volatile actions. Although the photos were of peaceful protesters, the signs and placards they were carrying were a little on the edge for possible violence.

Anytime people clash over ideals there is the possibility for heated discussion to become a push and shove incident which can, of course, lead to police involvement. The site’s connection with Cop Watch had a slight extremist feel about it however; it is still a reporting medium.
References

Elerding, Brian, Pro-choice and Pro-Life Groups Clash at Family Planning Clinic (2009). Retrieved July 2012 from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/10/230835.php

Homeland Security, Leftwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment of Liberal and Leftwing Radical Groups (n.d.). Retrieved July 2012 from http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/DHS%20on%20left%20groups.pdf

Ingram, April, Twenty Pet Pigeons Killed (February 1, 2012). Retrieved July 2012 from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2012/02/251321.php

Jan Perry’s Attempt to Remove Green space Requirement Gains Steam, (October 27, 2011). Retrieved July 2012 from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/10/249181.php

Los Angeles Independent Media Center, (n.d.). Retrieved July 2012 from http://la.indymedia.org/

Page Info, (n.d.). Retrieved July 2012 from http://la.indymedia.org/features/Community_Action/