Why we shouldnt hold illusions in thecapitalist media

I hear time aftertime when there is a in depth class struggle is occuring in the streets and comrades are feeling oppressed that the media out there do not wish to report our struggles.

I find this sad yet makes me want to bang my head in all honesty.

The capitalists greatest tool on their behalf is the media. The power the media can have today is truely scarey in some ways. It can influence public opinion and influence trials in court and all sorts. It is no doubt in the hands of the capitalists a very powerful tool. Lets be under no illusions with this. Comrades on the street still do seem to hold this notion that the media is independant and thinks for itself and reports on whatever it wants. Wrong i'm sorry to say but who owns these media sources i ask you ?

Well does the name Rupert Murdoch ring any alarm bells. and who is he linked to ? the tories anda right wing capitalist agenda. So should we be surprised that him and other media organisations acting in the interests of the ruling class dont report on our struggles ?

I persoanlly am not.. But to get this message over to other comrades who are perhaps new to the struggles of the working class is difficult and often frustrating. Many still thinkt he media should be reporting wherever there is a major incident . Not nessesarily. Only when it benifits them. Just like at the student protest last december. They covered them as they were big news at the time but you heard one side of the story of course. When newly radicalised comrades get aggrieved that they are not being treated fairly and rightly by the media i am not sure what they expect when they are not on our side anyway.

I am not having a go at good natured and well intentioned comrades but i do think sometimes we need to take a reality check and realise who is on our side and who isnt and just there to make some quick dosh out of our phlight.

So this has got to be another excellent wink in the direction for a marxist paper/ publication.

Such papers as the socialist formaly the Militant a weekly socialist publication from the socialist party is a excellent read but not only that it sets out our common transitional demands each week. If you read closely enough you will be able to identify our transitional demands formulated by Leon Trotsky many many years ago. Of course ours have been updated to reflect the current class contiousness of today as all power to the soviets as correct as that was back then during the Russian Revolution would not really apply to todays struggles. So we put forward our demands and our targets where we want to be heading each week. We may have some excellent writers with good experience and knowledge but also we have a organised program behind us which not many political organisations can claim today in all fairness.

So when comrades moan and groan about not gaining enough coverage from the media who feel aggrieved because our struggle isnt playing out live on tv well why do we not take Leon Trotsky's route and form our own publications and media and put our own counter arguements out there and invite real debate in politics rather than a one way media frenzy against the working class.