Susan from Rochester (New York) Indie Media talked to The UpTake’s Mike McIntee at last weekend’s National Conference for Media Reform in Boston about why she got involved with indie media. “Especially after the Iraq war, I saw how one-sided the media was and I thought ‘something’s gotta change’,” explained Susan. “My philosophy is, if you hate the media, be the media. I had no experience, but it’s been a life-changing experience for me.”
Susan recounted her organization’s coverage of a local antiwar demonstration, which turned into a police riot. Thirteen people were arrested, and the violence sent two people to the hospital. The mainstream media neglected to cover it. According to Susan, the police defended the arrests because “people weren’t moving out of the way of the firetruck”. But Rochester indie media shot video of people moving out of the way.
“It really showed truth to power and how the media can make a difference,” she said.”
