There's no doubt the so-called mainstream media turned their collective noses up at the Sept. 12 march on Washington, D.C. to protest the policies of Democratic-controlled federal government - whether in the form of denigration, downplay or outright ignoring the event.
However, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has suggested a different tactic. On his Sept. 14 show, Limbaugh proposed a future round of these grassroots protests not take place at the seats of power in government, but instead the headquarters and outposts of the local and national media.
"There have been hundreds and thousands of protests by conservative groups that haven't been covered, and tiny turnouts by the left that are covered," Limbaugh said. "You know all this as well as I do. What about this? We're looking for a force multiplier. Yeah, the protest in Washington on Saturday was great, two million people, but imagine what a force multiplier would be if the next one were held outside of local and national television networks and their headquarters where they can't miss it?"
Despite both polling data and tangible evidence that people are growing increasing disenfranchised with the media in the country, Limbaugh said not to make the media the focal point of the protests. He instead said to protest the policy shifts and out-of-control spending, which has been the focus of many of the protests, including the tea party events and the most recent Washington rally. That would then force the media to take note of the protesters' efforts.
"Right there, on or next to the properties housing the TV networks - dare them to cover what is right under their noses," Limbaugh continued. "Put the media in the spotlight and on the hot seat. Don't make them the protest. Continue to protest Obama. Protest health care. Protest the loss of liberty. Protest the coming tyranny. Just do it on their property or as close to it as you can get being law-abiding and all that. Link the press with the Democrats. Make them part of it, but not the focal point. I'm not talking boycotts. I don't like boycotts, just show up where they can't miss it. Show up in numbers where they can't escape it."
Limbaugh offered the domain DriveByMedia.com, which he owns, for organizational purposes. According to the radio host, Washington, D.C. has been done and it's time to force the Fourth Estate to notice.
"Now, these protests would be twofold," Limbaugh said "The topics being protested today with the addition of protesting coverage and lack of coverage, leaders of the media rallies should have a list of grievances by individual stations. Make the challenges substantive and adult and challenge their journalistic ethics. In fact, we own the Internet Web domain DriveByMedia.com and I'm thinking maybe DriveByMedia.com might be a way of organizing such a thing. But I really do think the next time -- and I'm not trying to create it, I want this all to happen spontaneously. But the next time something like this happens... We've done Washington, that's great. We got the truth out - the British press, the so-called alternative media is getting the word out."
