The trade press is its own little microcosm in the media world. This special interest, subscription only, business model dares to call itself "media." However, the real bread and butter of trade press is selling outrageously expensive subscriptions to its target industry. And the trade press likes to keep its "trade" happy. Because, like, if you tick off your readers, they might cancel their subscription! So the trade press tells them only what they want to hear... happy, happy, happy... media censorship. If you make your subscribers look like heros in every story, they will keep buying your drivel, even if they don't believe it.
Just below trade press on the "truth in media" scoreboard is the mainstream media. Their survival depends on entertaining the masses with what ever version of news it thinks they want to hear. A lot of the time, mainstream media content is created by corporations.
And then you've got your regional or local news outlets, which is probably the first place you're going to see balanced stories that, well, tell the whole story.
So, I came across this teaser piece by trade press outlet Electricity Policy Today. If you want to read the whole "story," you need to pay for a subscription. But, for illustrative purposes here, we don't need anything more than this teaser.
Electricity Policy Today seems quite surprised that Clean Line's Grain Belt Express is "stalled at the MO PSC." The article gushes over the fact that "hundreds of rural landowners" (and yes, they use those quotes, like it's some kind of distasteful being) have risen in opposition at the Legislature and in PSC hearings. They finally reveal to their readers that the opposition is strong and successful and relied on representative democracy, grass-roots activism and landowner rights to score their victory. But they are quick to bookend that with threats from GBE project manager Mark Lawlor to take his "west-to-eats wind power line" (see, I can do it too, and make fun of your editorial failure at the same time!) to the Feds and beg for them to override Missouri's decision.
That's the way it always happens. Opposition has to work 10 times as hard as corporations to get mainstream media attention. Sometimes they even have to stage a news-worthy event or stunt to get any attention. Of course, that's a very thin line to walk -- attention without making yourself look ridiculous. In the sanitized trade press world, you're pretty much locked out altogether... unless you win. Then they talk about your victory in surprised tones.
And there they are: The "trade" guys, scratching their heads and wondering how it was possible to get their butts kicked so hard by an industrious group of plebeians.
"Wha? What happened? We were supposed to win! How did that happen?"
We happened, you dolts!
Because, you know, you really can't eat wind after all. Thank a farmer at your next meal.
Just below trade press on the "truth in media" scoreboard is the mainstream media. Their survival depends on entertaining the masses with what ever version of news it thinks they want to hear. A lot of the time, mainstream media content is created by corporations.
And then you've got your regional or local news outlets, which is probably the first place you're going to see balanced stories that, well, tell the whole story.
So, I came across this teaser piece by trade press outlet Electricity Policy Today. If you want to read the whole "story," you need to pay for a subscription. But, for illustrative purposes here, we don't need anything more than this teaser.
Electricity Policy Today seems quite surprised that Clean Line's Grain Belt Express is "stalled at the MO PSC." The article gushes over the fact that "hundreds of rural landowners" (and yes, they use those quotes, like it's some kind of distasteful being) have risen in opposition at the Legislature and in PSC hearings. They finally reveal to their readers that the opposition is strong and successful and relied on representative democracy, grass-roots activism and landowner rights to score their victory. But they are quick to bookend that with threats from GBE project manager Mark Lawlor to take his "west-to-eats wind power line" (see, I can do it too, and make fun of your editorial failure at the same time!) to the Feds and beg for them to override Missouri's decision.
That's the way it always happens. Opposition has to work 10 times as hard as corporations to get mainstream media attention. Sometimes they even have to stage a news-worthy event or stunt to get any attention. Of course, that's a very thin line to walk -- attention without making yourself look ridiculous. In the sanitized trade press world, you're pretty much locked out altogether... unless you win. Then they talk about your victory in surprised tones.
And there they are: The "trade" guys, scratching their heads and wondering how it was possible to get their butts kicked so hard by an industrious group of plebeians.
"Wha? What happened? We were supposed to win! How did that happen?"
We happened, you dolts!
Because, you know, you really can't eat wind after all. Thank a farmer at your next meal.
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