Why Indymedia is failing right now when we need it the most
Mark - former UK Indy mod | 29.11.2011 16:30
IMC censors comments it doesn't like
IMC moderators are systematically censoring comments on published news wire items that they don't like/ disagree with. Unfortunately, this does give a skewed impression of the terms of the debate around certain issues and the false impression of consensus
This shouldn't be news, but unfortunately it is ... IMC engages in systematic censorship of comments that it disagrees with. Even when these comments are factually correct, even when these comments reflect dissenting views, these comments are deleted.
Such conflicting comments should not be deleted. IMC should not be practicing censorship because to do so undermines the entire raison d'etre of Indymedia - a counter to the dominant voice of mainstream media which censors dissent and opposing views.
IMC should allow dissenting views: allow the views of trolls to be published - this enables others to respond, to challenge and to possibly inform the holders of such views.
If IMC censors dissenting views there can be no challenge. Instead, IMC ends up existing in its own little self-confirmatory bubble away from the real world of conflicting opinions. If IMC readers hold opposing views, then let those views be heard/ read and where those views are unethical, unsustainable, unjust, then let those views and arguments that are ethical, sustainable and just be developed and put forward.
Otherwise, IMC becomes no different than the mealy-mouthed corporate media it prides itself on being different from.
This is no more important and relevant than in the thread regarding false propaganda on Iran having nuclear weapons. Who knows how many of the general public might come to IMC as a result of searching for information on this topic, and how many of those might hold opinions similar to those that have been censored, and because IMC is big enough and confident enough in the truth of the counter-claims, it can allow for a debate, and a dialogue, to emerge, showing all sides of opinion on the matter..
Instead, IMC becomes the alternative media's Fox News and censors all that it doesn't want to hear, that doesn't fit its agenda.
I thought we were different than this.
I thought that we were better than this.
I thought that IMC would be a more exemplary format of alternative and just media.
Please don't censor posts you don't like and show me that my faith - and financial support - in Indymedia was misplaced.
IMC moderators are systematically censoring comments on published news wire items that they don't like/ disagree with. Unfortunately, this does give a skewed impression of the terms of the debate around certain issues and the false impression of consensus
This shouldn't be news, but unfortunately it is ... IMC engages in systematic censorship of comments that it disagrees with. Even when these comments are factually correct, even when these comments reflect dissenting views, these comments are deleted.
Such conflicting comments should not be deleted. IMC should not be practicing censorship because to do so undermines the entire raison d'etre of Indymedia - a counter to the dominant voice of mainstream media which censors dissent and opposing views.
IMC should allow dissenting views: allow the views of trolls to be published - this enables others to respond, to challenge and to possibly inform the holders of such views.
If IMC censors dissenting views there can be no challenge. Instead, IMC ends up existing in its own little self-confirmatory bubble away from the real world of conflicting opinions. If IMC readers hold opposing views, then let those views be heard/ read and where those views are unethical, unsustainable, unjust, then let those views and arguments that are ethical, sustainable and just be developed and put forward.
Otherwise, IMC becomes no different than the mealy-mouthed corporate media it prides itself on being different from.
This is no more important and relevant than in the thread regarding false propaganda on Iran having nuclear weapons. Who knows how many of the general public might come to IMC as a result of searching for information on this topic, and how many of those might hold opinions similar to those that have been censored, and because IMC is big enough and confident enough in the truth of the counter-claims, it can allow for a debate, and a dialogue, to emerge, showing all sides of opinion on the matter..
Instead, IMC becomes the alternative media's Fox News and censors all that it doesn't want to hear, that doesn't fit its agenda.
I thought we were different than this.
I thought that we were better than this.
I thought that IMC would be a more exemplary format of alternative and just media.
Please don't censor posts you don't like and show me that my faith - and financial support - in Indymedia was misplaced.
An excellent article by an activist was hidden by Indymedia moderator 'freethepeeps' because he did not like the content.
The article is
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/11/489055.html?c=all The excuse ftp used to hide the original post was "disruptive user'. I have checked the Indy archive and I can't see that this poster has ever posted before so he/she can't be disruptive. I then did a quick Google check and found the story to be true so we are faced with age old problem on Indy UK that of clear antisemitism by one particular mod who has a history of hiding posts that he does not like.
FTP will of course hide this post, he will block the email to the Moderation List I have sent to ensure it is not on the public record and he will bully any other Mod that disagrees with his actions.
More than any other person FTP has damaged the Indy UK site and contributed to its decline in readership. They no longer publish the number of unique visitors to the site but as a former mod I can still see them and the decline is shocking. Between 2007 during the sickening Atzmon debacle and now the number of average daily unique visitors fell from 3476 to 943 and the 'click through' (meaning they read more than one story) fell from 5 to 2. This decline is continuing and during the last meeting of my regional collective we predicted that the UK site here will effectively cease to exist (unique visitors below 5 a day) by the Winter of 2012.
Mark - former UK Indy mod