Indymedia and the rts affair

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday February 10, 2003 16:54 by Jimbo le possion rouge - Your Ma

Indymedia has given up on impartiality and freedom. It has gotten to big for its boots and this affair clearly shows why.

Since May 6th indymedia has taken a monopoly on the information available to everybody concerned with the rts event. They hand out the video footage along guidelines that have been internally decided. They recently handed over that footage to the Garda complaints board with the agreement that it would not be used in the prosecution of individuals charged with offences against the state.

This all seems very benign on the surface as indymedia were clearly committed to doing 'the right thing'. However I think it raises two very fundamental points about the role of indymedia and shows them up for the agenda riddled clique that we all suspected them to be.

Firstly indymedia professes so sincerely to be 'free and open' whereas in this case they clearly were not, they took control of the information relating to rts and put a de facto monopoly in place, not so very free at all. While I would agree that it is better for those being prosecuted that the footage not fall into the hands of the police force it is in no way indymedias place to act as protector. In fact the people who have the strongest case of abuse of power against indymedia are those officers who will stand in court and defend themselves without the benefit of this information, which is so free. Now I think there is a clear contradiction here.

This opens up a whole can of worms about indymedias impartiality. Are they not just facilitators of truth or have they gotten very big for their boots and become defenders of justice. This is a role they can never fulfill if they want to remain reporters of truth. They have given themselves an agenda which amounts to censorship of information from particular sections of society. So we have established that they are anti-cop, so if we come across a situation were protesters attack police without just cause does it get censored too. Are cops allowed to write on the website? If we follow the logic withdrawing access of one group to information sets a precedent for this to be done to any group that indymedia finds objectionable.

Indymeia was involved in the rts event but what does being involved mean for indymedia does it mean actively taking part in the case against individuals with a clear and precise agenda and prejudice as it has done against the cops or does it mean reporting in a open and true manner. I would have to say the latter is the stated goal.

Finally I would like to express my personal distaste of being represented (as one of those charged) by an un-elected organisation that I have no affiliation with which sees fit to go to the cops and cut a deal of sorts.

Indymedia is not impartial and it is not free and this case shows that clearly. It is but a talking shop riddled with prejudice. Thank you.