Grassroots Media Must Continue to Engage Washington

Posted by Accuracy in Media Jul 16th 2011 at 4:58 am in Exclusives, Featured Story, First Amendment, Free Speech, Mainstream Media, Media Matters, New Media, Print Journalism, Tea Parties, citizen journalism, journalism, twitter 

An Accuracy in Media Exclusive:

The notion that progressives better utilize new media to advance their agenda could not look more outdated today. Proof of effective conservative messaging and networking is clear. One needs to look no further than the fact that President Obama hired a Twitter guy to combat messages critical of his policies, on your dime no less. But in order to continue this trend, elected leaders and agenda setters must further engage new media platforms and citizen journalists. Thankfully, it seems that some conservatives in Washington are taking the lead.

Freshman Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who originally kept a low profile despite his rock star status, has been branded as a guerilla warrior seeking to shake up Washington recently. As a result of this shift in political strategy, expect Senator Rubio to engage new media outlets more aggressively to criticize the Obama Administration and Capitol Hill.

Yesterday in the House, a relatively unknown freshman congressman from Illinois offered what is perhaps the harshest [public] language leveled against President Obama about the debt ceiling negotiations. No, Representative Walsh wasn’t chatting with Hannity or calling Levin, but speaking directly from his DC office into what looks like a flip camera. This action promptly raised the ire of Media Matters’ lead rent boy, Martin Bashir.

Finally we have Congressman Allen West (R-FL) who can arguably owe his early success thanks to a single YouTube video. He’s no stranger to the cable news circuit, yet he rarely fails to capitalize on the opportunity to speak directly to voters through new media.

In all of these cases, elected leaders are opting to speak directly, without the filter of the mainstream press or time constraints in cable news. If a conservative, alternative media is to thrive, Washington must continue to look online. For real investigative reporting and accountability, citizen journalists across the country have a duty to seek out stories and hold leaders accountable. A handful of conservative groups in Washington and Andrew Breitbart cannot do it alone. Keep in mind, without our alternative media, Jared Loughner would still be known as the “Tea Party Shooter.”

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