re: #132 sagehen

The reason MLK was so much more successful than those who came before is… television.

Generations of civil rights activism had been doing marches, magazines & newspapers, lobbying efforts, but the only people who knew anything about it were people who deliberately wanted to know something about it.

But with television, every American in every state and city suddenly HAD to know about it. They saw photos and video footage that directly contradicted everything they’d ever wanted to believe about our nation, and they were ashamed.

It’s rather like the impact of digital cameras and social media in recent years, getting footage and commentary before the journalists can get arsed to do more than show up and do interviews to hear “both sides of the story.” Whether that’s cop-related shootings, protests that turn into violent clashes, or politicians saying stupid shit aloud that they think won’t ever become public.