Lessons in headline engineering
Another possible headline was “At Morehouse, Biden says dissent should be heard because democracy is ‘still the way’” or another “Biden tells Morehouse graduates that scenes in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war break his heart, too”
Outside of the ceremony, a small number of protestors gathered while the commencement itself did not see any major disruptions.
Last week, Morehouse College President David Thomas said he would rather halt proceedings than have students escorted away for protesting.
“If my choice is 20 people being arrested on national TV on the Morehouse campus, taken away in zip ties during our commencement, before we would reach that point, I would conclude the ceremony,” he said on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
But, none of that happened – either halting the ceremony or tackling or pepper spraying any of the people who were draped in Palestinian flags or turning their chairs around.
DeAngelo Fletcher, Morehouse College’s valedictorian, closed his address to his classmates by addressing global conflict, particularly the Israel-Hamas war.
“For the first time in our lives, we’ve heard the global community sing one harmonious song that transcends language and culture,” he said. “It is my sense as a Morehouse Man, nay – as a human being – to call for an immediate and a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
IDK how much more pro Palestinian than that he got, and it sorta sounds like “both sides.” But whatever. Anyway apparently Biden stood up and shook his hand after. Here’s the whole video; Biden’s part starts at around 1:43:30. Comparing the tenor of the thing if you take a look at it firsthand, against the tenor that’s created from reading this particular headline, is a good little window on what they were trying to do by writing the headline that way (i.e. not to inform about what happened), and what ozma was trying to do by posting it here.
I don’t actually think it matters all that much what anybody says about Gaza. Biden stopping the weapons shipments, pushing for an immediate cease fire and humanitarian aid, and supporting an ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu would be a good start. I think mostly this commencement speech is notable in that, hey look, (1) there was protest and it was ok (2) you can make things sound way different depending on which aspects you present in the media coverage.
Lessons in headline engineering
Another possible headline
“Morehouse alumni give Biden a standing ovation”
Did you not see the students that stood and turned their backs during Biden’s propaganda speech? What about what was going on outside?
https://x.com/fizapirani/status/1792255493500502221-
https://x.com/p00ja_pat/status/1792247871670043119
Good for them. They’re standing up for what they believe in, and I agree with them, and I definitely think that this type of thing has some impact on Biden’s policies. Although at this rate, all the Palestinians will be dead before he works his way slowly and gradually around to the idea that maybe he’ll have to do more than a sternly worded phone call with Netanyahu in order for the killing to stop.
You’ll note that, because Biden bears little resemblance to the monstrous authoritarian caricature you try several times a day to paint him as, he and the college (who I’m sure talked with him about this exact issue, beforehand) both made no effort to “crack down” on them, and in fact he explicitly called out their protest as a good thing, during his speech.
(My point wasn’t that the headline was a direct lie, but an example of engineering a single true fact by blowing it up and warping it to create a slanted picture of reality in the reader’s mind. That’s why I sent the full unedited video, as a way of contrasting it with a single event or a single picture taken from the perfect angle. I actually can’t visit X video links since Elon fucked things up, but if you want to send me some non-X videos I’m happy to take a look at those, too.)
(Edit: Actually, I think the thing that they walked out as he gave his speech might be an actual lie. According to The New York Post, which seems to be the source for ozma’s photo, it sounds to me like the students who left stayed through Biden’s speech and then left during a later part when he was still on stage.)
I know it’s hard to comprehend that there’s people that aren’t Trumpers/Republican that don’t support genocide Joe, but there’s literally millions of us.
And with regards to the photo you claim was from NYP…
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/19/biden-morehouse-college-commencement-speech
I don’t think you’re a Trumper/Republican because you don’t support Genocide Joe. I think you’re a Trumper/Republican because the way you don’t support him doesn’t make any fucking sense. You criticize him for things he objectively didn’t do, and you offer no particular solutions that would seem to lead to a better outcome for those of us who live in the US and want it to do less killing here and abroad, and the only solution that you seem to offer – refusing to vote for him and offering an endless drumbeat of propaganda about him – has an excellent possibility of leading to a catastrophically worse outcome for everyone. Including Palestinians. And, you’re so vocal and consistent in criticizing him – and only him – for such a big variety of things real and imagined that it’s hard for me to take away any possible conclusion than that you’re trying to make sure he doesn’t get elected.
It’s possible that you’re simply a very confused leftist. IDK. But that’s my take on it. I note, also, that the story linked to also explicitly contradicts the headline, in terms of when students left (“walked out”) from the ceremony:
Several students walked out of the graduation ceremony while Biden was presented with an honorary degree following his speech, CNN reported.
So they stayed to listen to him speak, and then walked out in protest when he was done speaking? This is impossible, to me, to read as anything other than a deliberate propaganda construction built on people leaving to go to the bathroom or something. IDK, maybe I’m missing something.
(Edit: Also, when I said the protestors were awesome and it’s good that they let them protest, because it’s a message Biden needs to hear because he is wrong, and then you immediately pretended that I had said the opposite and started lecturing me about how legitimate it is to disagree with Biden, I honestly didn’t even notice because I’m sorta numb to that kind of thing at this point.)
Trumpers/Republican that don’t support genocide Joe, but there’s literally millions of us.
Disregarding the stupid “gEnOciDe jOe” comment, do you have a source for millions of people willing to switch from voting for Joe Biden in 2020 to not voting for him in 2024?
There’s literally no candidates with a better track record on this than Biden, and any candidates that could have a better Palestine policy aren’t going to win.
I will be one of the millions not voting for the butcher of Palestine. There’s no way that a liberal could spin that he’s the lesser evil.
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What’s worse than genocide, and how are you able to convince yourself that murder is not the lesser evil?
Holy shit dude, what’s yalls obsession with calling everyone who disagrees with you a liberal.
It’s almost as if you take the word liberal as a slur
A liberal? Did you mean to say progressive?
You’re a genocide denier now?
No, this very well could be a genocide, and the Biden admin needs to work to stop it as soon as possible, in a way that creates a lasting peace.
That doesn’t answer the question of who you think is possibly better for palestine and could win.
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“Several students,” so what are we talking, 3? 5? Read his damn speech OP
Notably, there was an age divide in support among Morehouse graduates: The alumni sitting to the left gave standing ovations during and after Biden’s speech, while the 2024 graduating class mainly remained seated throughout.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-silent-protest-morehouse-commencement/story?id=110376198
We get it, you’re really dedicated to posting negative things about Joe Biden. “Did not receive a standing ovation from some of the crowd” is really reaching though
Don’t forget, he also has a photo of 2 students facing away from Joe Biden and all the rest sitting facing the normal direction
And half of the crowd not standing because they were threatened to be part of Biden’s propaganda “or else”.
Hey, quick question unrelated to that obviously insane thing you just said: You posted a while back about how upset you were Joe Biden betrayed everyone, after he promised to decriminalize marijuana, and then didn’t do it even though he could literally do it at any time he wanted and that’s just one more example of him being shit. I listed out the things he had done (basically: federal pardons for possession, telling the DEA to reschedule it, and putting a decriminalization bill through congress), and then I asked you what else you would like him to do.
I think your post got removed as misinformation right after that, so I never got a chance to hear the answer. What else was it that you wanted him to do? That he could do literally any time, that you were upset that he betrayed everyone who voted for him by not doing?
Surely, since your goal is to push Biden left, not to just oppose him at every turn and make sure he doesn’t get elected, you are interested in non-propaganda information and discussion on topics like this.
There’s absolutely nothing racist Joe “I don’t want my kids to grow up in a racial jungle” Biden can do at this point to earn my vote. He lost it.
Edit: also, politicians are not your friends. We should also force them to the real left regardless if it upsets some or not. You’re continually wanting to just continue the status quo.
I sorta had a feeling you wouldn’t make even the slightest effort to defend that bullshit you had said.
politicians are not your friends
No, politicians are not at all your friends. What you mean when you say “support” for Biden or that Biden betrayed us, or that thing shills sometimes say about “falling in line behind” the Democrats and how they don’t want to do it, is very weird to me.
Nobody in politics is your friend. The government is just a big, corrupt, very dangerous machine. It runs on money and propaganda and defense contractors, and sometimes good things come out of it and sometimes bad things, and Biden is one little cog in that machine. That’s why I’m comfortable saying good things that Biden did, or that he’s doing a very bad thing by enabling a genocide – I’m not viewing either of those as a statement of my “allegiance.” It’s just, like, hey I am a free person and here is how I am viewing the world and what the truth is.
Ralph Nader did an excellent interview talking about productive ways to push the Democrats to the left, and how upset he was at Democratic voters who were throwing away an opportunity to get some concessions from the Biden administration in exchange for their vote. His viewpoint makes a ton of sense to me.
Your viewpoint – sort of based on emotion, this sort of teenager mentality like “YOU’RE DEAD TO ME NOW I’LL CALL UNCLE TRUMP TO COME OVER AND BURN THE HOUSE DOWN BECAUSE WHO CARES YOU BROKE MY HEART” coupled with a lot of the sins you’re accusing him of actually being things he didn’t do, is just weird. Like, if you want to push Biden left, fuckin go for it man. Sounds great. But if you’ve decided that if Trump comes to power and nukes Iran and makes being gay illegal and puts all the Hispanics in camps and cancels the next election, that’s just the price the country will pay because Biden said this wrong thing about racism and it was so hurtful to you and he’s definitely a bad person and that good person / bad person is even relevant to how to vote, then okay sure. I won’t tell you not to. But I don’t think you should pretend that I’m the one treating my politicians in a strange parasocial non sensible way.
Source?
The threat…
Morehouse College might halt graduation ‘on the spot’ if there are disruptions when President Biden speaks
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/16/us/morehouse-college-graduation-biden-commencement/index.html
I know that if I was a Palestine protestor, and President Biden was going to speak, and the college said that they would immediately just end the ceremony if things got too out of hand, I would immediately think “Well that definitely wouldn’t be a good outcome. I better quiet down; I was going to have this big protest, but if it’ll end the commencement ceremony entirely, then I won’t, because that would attract some attention to the cause I’m trying to promote. It might make the news or something. I’m scared of that outcome and wouldn’t want it to happen; that threat is effective.”
Your conclusion makes perfect sense that the crowd was mostly filled with people who were seething with contempt for Joe Biden, but cowed into obedient sitting-facing-towards-him by the threat that if they made too much ruckus, it would successfully disrupt the event.
This doesn’t at all say they had to do this “or else,” it only talks about disruptions, not protests, and no one was compelled to be there. You literally started this thread with an article about some students who protested without causing a disruption, dufus
Oh hey, it’s the dude with a hardon for both-sides bullshit and trashing Biden. I can’t wait to see the mental gymnastics in this thread…
Always look at the actions of someone not what they say. Someone told me this long time ago and it never fails.
Trump tells Israel to “finish the job” in gaza
https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-gaza-netanyahu-biden-ba17bedaf2f1b5f2ea220828d0fba73b
Surprising nobody.
And had the nerve to address a HBCU to pander for the black vote.
How DARE he accept an invitation that the HBCU sent to him? He should reject it!!
Then you’d be on here complaining about how he doesn’t care about the Black vote lol
But Trump had that (AI) photo with black guys! And Cardi B doesn’t like Biden!
Tracy Morgan, too, has a very important message
Holy shit, that’s sadly still relevant.
Ha ha ha, yeah it’s (suddenly starts crying)
I wouldnt be complaining about not caring for the black vote because they don’t care. They use marginalized communities as human shields to defend their shitty politics. Then toss them back to the curb the day of the election.
Black Americans have been one of the most reliable faction of the democratic party for 75 years.
Are you suggesting they are stupid?
No, he’s saying that national Democracts leverage the black community for votes, and in exchange, repeatedly screw them over - when they manage to remember they exist outside of election cycles.
At least, that’s how I read his comment. It is only partially intelligible.
And if black people can’t see that, they are just stupid, I am assuming he thinks.
My father used to say this a lot. This is one of the oldest republican talking points in the world.
A lot of leftists are just ore-republicans and that needs to be pushed against.
It’s possible they think that, but it’s not something that is made clear through their comments here, at least not to me. But that’s mostly because they’re very poorly written, like I said, only partially intelligible.
Im suggesting Democrats use them to retain power, appeal to their needs every election cycle then toss them back to the curb the day after the election.
So what does it say that the majority of black voters disagree with you?
Why don’t they see it the way you do? Do they lack something you don’t?
Because like most liberals, many dont see their needs are being exploited. Or that their rights are being held hostage until an election cycle, when they are showered with platitudes about concern and addressing their needs. Only to be shoved to the back of the bus the day after the elections
So black people overwhelmingly lack your intelligence…
Yeah, I think your screen name is a lie.
I can’t stand President Biden. I wouldn’t vote for him if he were the last candidate on earth. But, really? This man is the President, and you couldn’t do him the courtesy of sitting quietly and listening to what he has to say?
That behavior is beyond my comprehension.
Titles don’t demand respect. Character does.
I’m legitimately surprised that so few of the trolls have hit on the idea of coming in being fake pro-establishment. Like if there were more people here being super pro-Israel and doing the “Hamas is lying about casualties” “what on earth is Israel supposed to do, not defend themselves” talking points, to provide some justification for all the other trolls claiming that Lemmy is filled with pro-genocide-ers and they’re just doing their part sticking up for the unrepresented Palestinian viewpoint – I think if I were running an influence campaign I would probably sprinkle in some of those people, too.
I think “of course Joe Biden is dogshit, we all agree on that of course, but by God you better sit up and salute when he’s around, signed, your friendly Lemmy authoritarian person, fuck the protestors” is a likely candidate for one of those. If this is genuinely how you look at it though, have you considered reaching out to some of the shills and seeing if maybe you can get paid for posting this stuff? I think this would be a good tactical addition to what they’re doing.
Oh look Mozz, Biden lied again…
The president of Morehouse College claimed that Biden’s commencement address would not be used by his campaign.
I can’t open X links; I’m on Firefox and it’s fucked on Firefox now and I don’t really feel like hopping around on browsers just to keep Elon Musk happy. I’m happy to look at it if you can find it somewhere else. I did search for the quote and I didn’t find anything.
You wanna address the thing with the second part of the headline, though? Because I’m not real sure I trust “freedomrideblog” on Twitter and I would want to know more details about how Biden’s campaign is using the speech, and all that, but it definitely looks like part of the headline you posted was objectively a lie. No?
The video isn’t on YouTube yet.
You wanna address the thing with the second part of the headline, though?
Among those issues, according to people familiar with the discussions, was student worry that their achievements would be overshadowed by a stump speech. They have expressed frustration that the format of the event and the level of security required for such a high-profile visit resulted in limited tickets for family members, many of whom would be required to watch from an overflow room.
Stephen Benjamin, the president’s director of public engagement who conducted the meeting, says Biden is intent on keeping the focus on the graduates.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/biden-team-consulted-prominent-morehouse-201357782.html
So we’re moving goalposts and just straight-up refusing to answer a simple question about why it seems like the thing you posted was not just misleadingingly framed, but actually false. Sounds good.
I do understand that I haven’t been real polite to you and it creates a certain pressure to “get a win” by making some kind of counterpoint. Mission accomplished, I guess. Biden did actually give the speech he was invited to give, even though he’s also campaigning and that makes things more complicated in some ways. It’s true. You caught him.
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Except no because the fact that he’s President while campaigning still matters. It absolutely affects how he behaves.
