Media
#BlackOutTuesday spreads across social media in protest against George Floyd killing – CBC.ca
Major broadcasters, music streaming companies and more are joining with celebrities and music labels in halting or altering their regular operations Tuesday to express solidarity with U.S. and international protests against the killing of George Floyd in police custody.
ViacomCBS Inc. said it would be on “on pause” for #BlackOutTuesday to reflect on recent events and to shift focus from “building business to building community.”
On Monday, the company had its channels — including CBS News, MTV and Comedy Central — transmit eight minutes and 46 seconds of breathing sounds with the words “I can’t breathe,” denouncing the incident last week that sparked mass protests across United States and abroad, including in Canada, the U.K. and Australia.
A Minneapolis police officer was arrested last week on third-degree murder and manslaughter charges for his role in the death of the 46-year-old Floyd.
Streaming giant Spotify Technology said it would feature an eight minute and 46 second track of silence in select podcasts and playlists on Tuesday, while also halting social media publications. Apple Music said it would use the day to reflect and plan actions to support black artists, creators and communities.
Hitting pause on music industry
On Monday, a host of record labels announced they would mark Tuesday by suspending business, delaying new music releases, and pledging support for racial justice organizations fighting inequality.
<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheShowMustBePaused?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TheShowMustBePaused</a> <a href=”https://t.co/JHTUG34Ibj”>pic.twitter.com/JHTUG34Ibj</a>
—@pausetheshow
The initiative originated with #TheShowMustBePaused, an effort led by record industry executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang calling for an intentional disruption of the work week to protest against the deaths of black people in police custody.
They also issued a call to action, with suggestions that ranged from supporting the family of Floyd to learning about racial justice to joining grassroots anti-racism campaigns and protests.
“Our mission is to hold the industry at large — including major corporations and their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people — accountable,” the organizers said in a statement.
“This is not just a 24-hour initiative. We are and will be in this fight for the long haul.”
Here is more info on the beginnings of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackOutTuesday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BlackOutTuesday</a> and what it means. <a href=”https://t.co/gwbHpSiUrK”>pic.twitter.com/gwbHpSiUrK</a>
—@jnajefferson
Social media participation
Dozens of artists and sports stars have spoken out against Floyd’s death and the racism they say lay behind it as the protests spread. Multiple musicians, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and Jay-Z have spoken out in response to the death and subsequent demonstrations, some of which have turned violent.
On Tuesday, celebrities such as Rihanna, Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Kylie Jenner all went dark on social media to acknowledge Floyd’s death.
NBA stars including LeBron James and Steph Curry posted an empty black photo on their Instagram pages. The league’s official page posted the same photo with the hashtag “#NBATogether.”
Pushback on social posts
However, there has been pushback against some of these attempts at solidarity via social media.
Many people have been posting dark squares with the hashtags #BLM and #BlackLivesMatter.
Black activists have pointed out that including those tags drown out the existing posts, which share information about current protests, important resources and documentation of violence.
stop posting black squares under the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BlackLivesMatter</a> hashtag on Instagram. it is intentionally and unintentionally hiding critical information we are using on the ground and online. <a href=”https://t.co/EIS44aDXXd”>pic.twitter.com/EIS44aDXXd</a>
—@anthoknees
<a href=”https://t.co/1GqodGV9VZ”>pic.twitter.com/1GqodGV9VZ</a>
—@BlackGirlNerds
In other cases, social media commenters are challenging the sincerity of both companies and individuals who have created “in solidarity” posts, questioning whether their real-life actions, choices and decisions reflect the same anti-racist sentiment they are currently expressing online.
Non-Black folks with blacked out avis &/or the black posts on IG:<br><br>What’s your plan for tomorrow?<br><br>You don’t have to answer me. Interrogate yourself. If the answer didn’t come quickly and didn’t make you even a little uncomfortable, you might consider rethinking your action plan.
—@ReignOfApril
Blackout Tuesday is empty signaling. It’s just a checkpoint to pass thru so companies can feel like something has been done. <br><br>I’d much rather they post the results of all this planning they’re saying they’re doing today.
—@brandonjinx
Media
Jon Stewart Slams the Media for Coverage of Trump Trial – The New York Times
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.
Media Circus
Opening arguments began in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Monday, with much of the news media coverage homing in on as many details as possible about the proceedings.
Jon Stewart called the trial a “test of the fairness of the American legal system, but it’s also a test of the media’s ability to cover Donald Trump in a responsible way.”
The Punchiest Punchlines (Insano Edition)
The Bits Worth Watching
Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, took the stage with Madonna in Mexico City over the weekend.
What We’re Excited About on Tuesday Night
The economist Stephanie Kelton will chat with Jordan Klepper and Ronny Chieng, the guest co-hosts, on Tuesday’s “Daily Show.”
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In “Under the Bridge,” Hulu’s chilling new series, Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone investigate the murder of a teenager.
Media
Jon Stewart lampoons media’s coverage of Trump’s first day at trial – CNN
‘Decisive, definitive and regretful’: Iran’s foreign minister issues warning to Israel
Media
Jon Stewart rips media over coverage of ‘banal’ Trump trial details – The Hill
Jon Stewart blasted the media for covering the “banal” details of former President Trump’s first of four criminal trials, which began with opening statements Monday following a week of jury selection.
In his Monday night broadcast of “The Daily Show,” Stewart poked fun at the TV news media for tracking Trump’s traffic route from Trump Tower to the courtroom, compiling footage from various outlets, as they tracked each turn his car made.
“Seriously, are we going to follow this guy to court every f‑‑‑ing day? Are you trying to make this O.J. [Simpson]? It’s not a chase. He’s commuting,” Stewart said. “So the media’s first attempt — the very first attempt on the first day — at self-control failed.”
Media outlets have closely covered Trump in recent days, as he makes history as the first U.S. president to stand trial on criminal charges. Trump is also the presumptive GOP nominee for president this year.
Trump currently faces 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in connection to reimbursements to his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with the former president a decade prior. It is the first of four criminal trials Trump will face, and perhaps the only one that will go to a jury before the November election.
Stewart, in his broadcast, took aim at TV news outlets, suggesting they were covering small news alerts as significant breaking news developments.
Stewart pretended a producer was talking in his earpiece and paused midsentence, saying, “Hold on. We’re getting breaking news,” and cut to a clip from an earlier interview conducted by CNN’s Jake Tapper, who similarly cut off his guest momentarily to identify a photo displayed on screen to his audience.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Just for one second. I apologize,” Tapper said in the clip. “We’re just showing the first image of Donald Trump from inside the courtroom. It’s a still photograph that we’re showing there. Just want to make sure our viewers know what they’re looking at.”
Stewart shot back, saying, “Yes, for our viewers who are just waking up from a 30-year coma, this is what Donald Trump has looked like every day for the past 30 years. Same outfit.”
Stewart ripped CNN again for analyzing the courtroom sketches so closely, saying, “It’s a sketch. Why would anyone analyze a sketch like it was — it’d be like looking at the Last Supper and going, ‘Why do you think Jesus looks so sad here? What do you think? It’s because of Judas?’”
“Look, at some point in this trial, something important and revelatory is going to happen,” Stewart said. “But none of us are going to notice, because of the hours spent on his speculative facial ticks. If the media tries to make us feel like the most mundane bullshit is earth-shattering, we won’t believe you when it’s really interesting.”
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