Our acceptance of the genocide we are witnessing in Palestine is caused by the media. The political crisis in the USA is caused by the media. Our unwillingness to reduce our emissions, stop destroying nature and adapt to the current consequences of the climate and nature crises is the responsibility of the media.
Polycrisis
These leaders are the most effective leaders on the planet, yet their ideology is so very different to mine. Their wants do not correspond with my needs. Their desire for power will not keep my son safe.
Modern technology has gifted an immense amount of power to that very small number of white, male billionaires. Their power now reaches far beyond the borders that used to define legacy media empires.
People are being killed on their say-so, and countries will be drowned because of their desires. Their oblique intent to perpetuate the current systems means we must pivot our focus and change our framing.
The legal definition of ‘oblique intent’ refers to situations where a person is aware that a consequence will occur in the ordinary course of events, even if causing that consequence isn’t their primary aim.
The polycrisis that surrounds us is a crisis of the media’s making. It is a media crisis. There isn’t one campaign I can think of that could not be influenced by the media, not one.
Existential
I started my campaigning life as a transport campaigner with a group called Stop Killing Cyclists. We successfully influenced the mayor of London to help enable him to build a network of protected cycling lanes in our capital.
The media landscape in London at that time was different, the powerful London-wide media were generally supportive of our campaign, which aided our success. However, the national media demonised people cycling and constantly championed drivers ‘rights’ over the lives of cyclists.
After this success, I started to focus more on climate, a logical shift as transport is the UK’s largest emitting sector of climate change gases. Transport campaigning is climate campaigning in the UK.
I supported Extinction Rebellion, whose campaigning led to Parliament declaring a Climate Emergency, and Net Zero target of 2050. Then, the Policy Exchange think tank report ‘Extremism Rebellion’ was published, labelling climate campaigners as ‘extremists’.
Taking their lead from the opaquely funded Policy Exchange, the malignant media went about their task, smearing Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil, calling them ‘eco zealots’ and ‘climate fanatics’, they shifted the focus from the issue – the existential crises we face – to the campaigners tactics themselves.
Effective
Playing out their age-old tactic of othering groups that don’t serve the media purpose,whilst promoting groups that do, i.e., the fossil fuel industry and the politicians who prop it up. The number of climate activists referred to the Prevent anti-terrorism programme increased following the emergence of the ‘Extremism Rebellion’ report.
Examining the history of campaigning, I saw how effective campaigns can be when they do have media support, and I noted the majority of the media suppressed most of the campaigns I championed.
Simultaneously, they supported the disastrous systems that are destroying our society and culture. As I broadened my horizons and spoke to people in other campaign groups, I saw the same pattern time and time again.
It dawned on me that the very thing that is causing the division in society is the very thing that could unite us.
A common feature among all campaign groups is, if the most influential parts of the media reported about your campaign in a positive manner, constantly and regularly, your campaign would be effective, far more quickly.
Revolution
As a turbo-charged example of how effective media support can be, you only need to read about the fuel blockades of 2000, which were successful within days, once The Sun, The News of the World and the The Daily Mail got onboard.
The digitisation of the media and the growth in influence of social media have recalibrated the power that our media systems wield. But both nationally and internationally, the media, as a whole, still has the strongest influence on shaping public conversation and political decision making.
We know there is a long list of groups and organisations fighting for a more peaceful future. We know we need a broad campaign focusing on the media, such a campaign needs to coordinate a collaborative approach with existing campaign groups and organisations that are affected by the malignant media.
I don’t need to break windows, instead, I’ve decided to help start a media revolution. Campaigns should be simply named after what they aim to achieve, so we’ve called it Media Revolution.
Co-operation
I believe in a media system that supports democracy, not undermines it. One that is plural, accountable, and serves the public good.
I believe a better media is not only possible, it is essential. No single reform will be enough. Creating new platforms promoting public interest journalism is good, but it must go hand-in-hand with challenging disinformation and misinformation, changing ownership models, giving regulators genuine power to hold the media and its owners to account, and ensuring they do.
I envision a future that includes a diverse media landscape that reflects society, respects evidence. A media revolution driven by co-operation, responsibility, and strategic change. What we currently have is a media system that pushes the agenda of the billionaire class, to the detriment of virtually everyone else.
Change the media, change the future.
This Author
Caspar Hughes is a member of Media Revolution. Media Revolution will be launching on 28th July this year.