Politically Disenfranchised and Blowing Past the Mainstream News Media

A work colleague of mine observed that the job of the mainstream news channels was to read the internet to old people. The proliferation of internet news websites, video sharing servers (Youtube, Liveleak), social media and a vast array of blogs makes it no longer necessary to rely on the mainstream news channels, which are rapidly becoming irrelevant.

This trend was evident this weekend during the nationwide protests against Planned Parenthood. Although, the protests occurred at over half the Planned Parenthood locations in 320 cities in all 50 states, there was a virtual media blackout of the events. The news media leaders congratulated themselves for squashing these politically incorrect demonstrations. However to their great dismay, the outraged pro-abortion crowd discovered that the top trending hashtag this last weekend was #ProtestPP. All over the nation, these social media-savvy pro-lifers were tweeting, sharing, and instagramming themselves onto the front page, even if the front page ignored them.

In the vast majority of protest locations, the tone was positive, respectful, and thoughtful, and the social media communication was likewise. One tweet that went viral was an endearing photo of adopted children, whose birth mothers had chosen adoption over abortion. The positive message and the way it was stated brought the pro-life cause to the fore-front of the nation's attention.

My local Planned Parenthood protest in Belleview, WA.

His Holiness Pope Francis in his message for the 48th World Communications Day, "Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter" he observed the effectiveness of social media in reaching out to others;

In a world like this, media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which can in turn inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all.  Good communication helps us to grow closer, to know one another better, and ultimately, to grow in unity.  The walls which divide us can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another.

His Holiness has also stressed on other occasions that the social media is a very effective way of communicating to others our Catholic Faith and moral values. In light of last weekend's events, it turns out he was right.