Michael Tyznik
Untitled Goose NameI keep seeing that “first they came for the journalists” sign, and it pisses me off so much, because when they came for muslims, immigrants, and trans people, mainstream journalists normalized it and reported it as “both sides”. Somehow it didn’t count for them until it was happening to them personally, which is *exactly* what the fucking poem was warning against in the first place.
ZagTheRaccoon 🦝 (Essayist)@goosname imo the BLM protests were only allowed to gain traction cuz cops were firing at the journalists.
A.person@MutualAidMember @goosname you are correct sir. BLM gained traction once the cops stared firing at journalists BECAUSE nobody gave a f#ck. About all the BLM protestors that were getting shot and or disappeared into unmarked government vans
Stybba3019@goosname Thank you!
This is the point I was trying to make yesterday. https://mstdn.social/@Stybba3019/109525204507410307
Stybba3019 (@[email protected])
While I dislike journalists getting booted off Twitter, I'm neither surprised nor outraged. There is nothing sacred about journalists that they should be exempt from the mistreatment inflicted on others or have their abuse taken more seriously than what others have endured. The new regime has been banning accounts assiduously since take-over. The big change is now Elon is attacking the press that has been enabling the rise of fascists like him. FAFO is a 2-way street.
Yaseen, Yaseen of Yaseen 🏳️⚧️@goosname more like "second to last they came for the journalists", and a few of the mainstream ones got their accts back so like. Is the lesson here just to kotow to the Lord and he'll let the content serfs back?? Talk about tone deaf.
RedwoodGirl in Chico@goosname Not to mention how many reporters use the awful "clean up" language around homeless camps. Some reporters are actively participating in the dehumanization of homeless folks.
Angela Glansbury 🚽@goosname
Also the poem never mentions journalists for exactly the same reason it wouldn't mention journalists if it was written today.
Also the poem never mentions journalists for exactly the same reason it wouldn't mention journalists if it was written today.
DanB@goosname I want to boost this over and over again
Traci Law@goosname Exactly!
Rozzychan@goosname
Try this poem
https://eldritch.cafe/@amberage/109529746237020463
but don't laugh.
mx amber alex (@[email protected])
First they came for Black and native people, but I didn't care, because that's how it's always been and anyway we've come so far, haven't we. Then they came for the immigrants, but I didn't care, because those people cause a lot of problems and they're unclean and strange. Then they came for the sex workers, but I didn't care, because it's their own fault to work that job and I mustn't be associated with that kind of people. Then they came for the homeless, but I didn't care, because I like my cities clean and they could just get a job, really what's so hard about that. Then they came for the pregnant, but I didn't care, because men like me can always get their girlfriends an abortion if needed. Then they came for the trans people, but I didn't care, because frankly they're sort of weird and just a fad and we're just indulging them and their wacko doctors. Then they came for the permanently disabled, but I didn't care, because I was in good health and they should just stay at home or eat healthier. Then they came for the journalists, and I wrote an op-ed titled “first they came for the journalists”. — liberal journalists **Edit:** for the love of whatever, please stop sending follow requests. At this point I've got around 100 piled up and I will not get through them all, ever. **Edit (14/03/2023):** Did away with the all-lowercase and capitalised properly.
Claudius Link
Catherine is not complacent@Rozzychan @goosname wheeewwewweeeeee I want to stitch that on a pillow.
Christian Graus@goosname I basically thought the same thing. It's obviously playing a trope but in very poor taste
the writer [vae/xe] ✡️“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
“Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
journalists are not the socialists—they’re Martin Niemöller. they already came for the socialists, unions, & jews, and they said nothing.
Angry Centrist@goosname Yup... the journos are well down the list they were ignoring until it was their toes getting trod upon.
@goosname Mustn't risk their "access" by ruffling rich feathers...
TrisResists
Morgan
Coles Street Pothole@goosname So much this. And also, it means in actuality, they didn't come for the journalists first. Journalists need to get in line behind a lot of other folks.
Kenny Kravitz@goosname Journalists aren't actually one of the groups mentioned in the original poem, either. As always, they don't see the need for alarm until it's affecting them directly.
Essjay 🏳️🌈 
Lumi Kløvstad (They/Them)@goosname Yeah, "first they came for the Journalists" is crap. We're already several levels into that list.
NancyM@goosname very true!
Daniel Reeders@goosname THIS. Well said.
Aphrodite (recharging)i’m guessing that most if not all of these people are access journalists rather than ignored journalists
ignored journalists know they are in the wilderness until they shout at the walls “my dudes, invasion is approaching”
access journalists are flustered by losing any form of access, especially when they cultivate that access so hard they’ve lost ability to assess critically until they are cast out
but that’s just my opinion and i’m probably wrong
Boud@Aphrodite This is not just your opinion. It's part of filter 3 - the #SourcingFilter - in the empirically well-established five-filter #PropagandaModel of media in western democracies, initially formalised and quantified by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky [1].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model%23Sourcing
I qualify with my opinion because I did not have the evidentiary backing you just gave me.
I did not know this prior to now. Dead honest.
My now defensible opinion was derived from observation of phenomena as objectively as possible (the data needs to be as Canadian, um, objective as possible given the circumstances), processed through a rational filter of good faith.
and seeing so many slack off by slapping their name on the work of a PR flack just pisses me off amirite?
Nathan Lowell (he/him) 📎Every day I learn something new.
I might follow more journalists if they didn't keep linking to articles behind "Give me your name and address" or paywall sign ins.
Carl Clark@boud @Aphrodite @goosname I think this is the first toot (let alone tweet) I've seen with a formal footnote. I'm honestly impressed!
That’s why I explicitly want to know that i’m wrong. If I am wrong, I can correct course.
While I try to operate objectively and logically and deserve my statements, I’m just a hacker. I don’t have a formal background in philosophy or whatever being what was tangential in my education, like a semester of undergrad ethics classes for example.
I also like knowing that there are others that thought these thoughts and can probably say so more clearly than I can.
noice brewery@Aphrodite @goosname of all people, Frankie Boyle seemed to say it best: "If you're a political journalist who has regular contact with people in power, and your analysis is always aligned with prevailing orthodoxy, then you're not really a journalist, you're a courtier."
Rev. Bussy Body of The Church of America MLM and Shooting Club@goosname it's such a damning self-own as to the *one thing* they're valuable for
like,
> the first
> did not notice the stuff that wasn't directly happening to them, let alone document and report it
like,
> the first
> did not notice the stuff that wasn't directly happening to them, let alone document and report it
Shield Maiden@goosname You put that SO well...it's exactly that, and besides which they didn't come for journalists first if we really want to nitpick. Like I do.
zeemeermin@goosname The poem is not a warning, it's a document of selfreflection and guilt.
It pisses me off that it is used as an accusation and not as a testament for the next generation to be better, be vigilant and speak up if there is injustice and oppression, which it is.
It pisses me off that it is used as an accusation and not as a testament for the next generation to be better, be vigilant and speak up if there is injustice and oppression, which it is.
Paul Tyreman@goosname maybe they come for the journalists first so that the rest of what you describe will happen...
Aatif@goosname the idea that they’d *first* come after people with giant megaphones and vast name recognition is just insulting . I could respect it if the sign started with “next”
Benj Soule🫂💙HumanityFirst🌅@goosname They never think it's going to happen to them. But I get that there's a need to hold a professional neutral position as a show of objectivity. Let us continue to stamp out hate wherever it lies.
IAmPaws@goosname And the media won't change one damn bit.
I've moved to 
Thaliea🇬🇧
Paul@goosname so true!
🍵Yes, I had a mind to rewrite the poem like this, to capture the way that things keep happening and the outrage is forgotten as soon as the next "unprecedented" atrocity happens :
First they came for Black people, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for Muslims, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for immigrants, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for Asian people, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for Trans people, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for Jews, and I was absolutely shocked and appalled.
First they came for me, and I demanded they include me again.
zbrown@goosname First they came for the Communists, but the US already rubbed that bit off the stone.
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean@goosname to be fair, that’s how reporting is supposed to work; they’re supposed to have a pro and con side to the stories. Many journalists now realize how detrimental that format was to important issues like climate change and the pandemic, however.
Ricardo Harvin@goosname The behavior of major media organizations has been disgusting and disgraceful for a very long time.
When June 16th, 2015 didn't finally galvanize them, it was clear they believed themselves to be safe, ignoring all of history.
"Speaking" Truth to Power is why the First Amendment exists here in the U.S.
Maybe now they'll finally start.
Vegetable Gremlin ⍼👻@goosname first they came for the journalists, and since i was a journalist i didnt know anybody else existed
@goosname fuckin livid
Kevin Karhan 
@goosname EXACTLY!
They just conveniently leave out that first stanza of #Niemöller's poem...
@goosname yeah really. thank you for saying it so well!
AutisticMumTo3
neatchee@goosname
I'm sick of seeing the quote, period. As a Jew I've seen it as opportunistic for a while now. Few people stood up for us then. It's hard to be surprised it's happening to others now. I'm just angry all the time and the quote doesn't help. Just performative crap either way.
SSFC KDT (MOVED)@goosname counter sign: "YOU WEREN'T EVEN CLOSE TO THE FIRST THEY CAME FOR"
GalactiCamille🔭🚀🎮🌟🏳️⚧️@goosname Thank you for saying this !
Karsten™️@goosname I'm really hoping that this finally teaches them that being objective isn't holding both sides of the argument equal, it's recognizing which side is real and true and good, and which side is full of lies and hate, and taking a firm stand in support of the former.
Evelyn
aranmx amber alex (@[email protected])
First they came for Black and native people, but I didn't care, because that's how it's always been and anyway we've come so far, haven't we. Then they came for the immigrants, but I didn't care, because those people cause a lot of problems and they're unclean and strange. Then they came for the sex workers, but I didn't care, because it's their own fault to work that job and I mustn't be associated with that kind of people. Then they came for the homeless, but I didn't care, because I like my cities clean and they could just get a job, really what's so hard about that. Then they came for the pregnant, but I didn't care, because men like me can always get their girlfriends an abortion if needed. Then they came for the trans people, but I didn't care, because frankly they're sort of weird and just a fad and we're just indulging them and their wacko doctors. Then they came for the permanently disabled, but I didn't care, because I was in good health and they should just stay at home or eat healthier. Then they came for the journalists, and I wrote an op-ed titled “first they came for the journalists”. — liberal journalists **Edit:** for the love of whatever, please stop sending follow requests. At this point I've got around 100 piled up and I will not get through them all, ever. **Edit (14/03/2023):** Did away with the all-lowercase and capitalised properly.
Dragon Vertigo@goosname Very good poem about that idea here https://eldritch.cafe/@amberage/109529746237020463
mx amber alex (@[email protected])
First they came for Black and native people, but I didn't care, because that's how it's always been and anyway we've come so far, haven't we. Then they came for the immigrants, but I didn't care, because those people cause a lot of problems and they're unclean and strange. Then they came for the sex workers, but I didn't care, because it's their own fault to work that job and I mustn't be associated with that kind of people. Then they came for the homeless, but I didn't care, because I like my cities clean and they could just get a job, really what's so hard about that. Then they came for the pregnant, but I didn't care, because men like me can always get their girlfriends an abortion if needed. Then they came for the trans people, but I didn't care, because frankly they're sort of weird and just a fad and we're just indulging them and their wacko doctors. Then they came for the permanently disabled, but I didn't care, because I was in good health and they should just stay at home or eat healthier. Then they came for the journalists, and I wrote an op-ed titled “first they came for the journalists”. — liberal journalists **Edit:** for the love of whatever, please stop sending follow requests. At this point I've got around 100 piled up and I will not get through them all, ever. **Edit (14/03/2023):** Did away with the all-lowercase and capitalised properly.
Schroedinger@goosname Yes - totally. In the UK, they came for the miners 40 years ago, and the journalists supported the government.
Not only that but there is a large cohort of 'journalists' who gleefully participated in the Coming for muslims, immigrants, trans people, etc.
Just to please their far-right, fascista aligned, rich media owning paymasters.
The hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance is jaw-dropping. 😡
cartoons_and_poetryYeah, it might be a bit off topic but cis white upper middle class abled gays are often the same: they only start caring when their "same-sex"(i hate that term, to be honest) marriages are under attack and don't give a flying fuck about the rest of us, the queers of colour, the disabled ones, the poor ones, and we, trans folks