Mainland Media Fail to Ask Why Puerto Rico Requires ‘Resilience’
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth seemed to take precedence over Puerto Ricans’ dire circumstances in the aftermath of Fiona.
FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth seemed to take precedence over Puerto Ricans’ dire circumstances in the aftermath of Fiona.
“What Puerto Ricans want and deserve is respect. They deserve a voice in the decisions that are made about their economy and their future.”
Tax giveaways to non–Puerto Ricans mean money not going to Puerto Rico’s energy systems, schools, hospitals, housing.
“There’s good momentum to pave a better future, and one that actually has Puerto Ricans in the driver’s seat.”
A judge has approved a debt restructuring deal for Puerto Rico and the deal’s architects are saying it means a “new day” for the territory.
While one cannot describe China’s national security law as an act of “colonialism” or “imperialism,” since Hong Kong is part of China, FAIR conducted a study comparing media coverage of Hong Kong’s national security law and actual colonialism by the US in Puerto Rico, and by its ally Israel in Palestine.
“For people to actually understand that we need to audit the debt, that we need to understand the debt, and that we shouldn’t be paying any debt that was created illegally, has been a struggle in itself.”
Puerto Rico is a living lesson about climate disaster capitalism, the failure and cruelty of austerity, and the need for new ways forward.
“The mainstream media still seems to be focused on the idea that this is all caused by a corrupt government in Puerto Rico, with no visible narrative of the colonial control behind it.”
Elite outlets are not the first place to look for a serious understanding of fast-moving but deeply rooted events in Puerto Rico, where massive popular protests have just led to the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rossello.
“Understanding the limits of the dialogue possible in the elite but influential press is crucial to understanding our political lives.”
Understanding the limits of the dialogue possible in the elite but influential press is crucial to understanding our political lives…and the importance of maintaining spaces where we can openly debate and challenge a status quo that is harming millions of people and the planet.
“I think it’s one thing to say, “We’re going to push the FCC and the telecoms to do the right thing.” It’s a whole other project to validate people’s self-determination by the ownership and governance of their infrastructure.”
For media activists, Hurricane Maria and the official response only underscored the need for the creation of communications systems grounded in community.
“When you’re telling people they should not eat so that a billionaire can have one more Ferrari or one more apartment in Manhattan, these people start to hide.”
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has just ruled that workers can be forced to pursue complaints through arbitration sessions, behind closed doors and all alone.
While the mainstream US press has been mainly focused on the Trump administration’s woeful institutional response to Hurricane Maria, it has barely noticed a much more radical political transformation of Puerto Rico, and the potentially disastrous long-term consequences for the citizens who live there.
Different people have very different visions of the way forward for Puerto Rico—depending, to put it simply, on whether you think servicing debt matters more than human beings.
The argument that “everyone” owns a piece of Puerto Rican debt is gaining steam in the mainstream news media. It’s corporate media’s attempt to spread the pain that the wealthy would feel from debt forgiveness.
These policies of government neglect, of private sector-only, and increasing climate disasters, are going to create Hurricane Marias in pockets of the First World, and some people are going to be left behind.
FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. We expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, we believe that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information.
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