@lovemycountry32, TikTok We don't know her real name. |
The woman who made the video and posted it to TikTok on Sept. 8, 2921 calls herself "lovemycountry326." While she technically qualifies as a "citizen reporter," she has no idea how to be a citizen journalist.
Let's watch the video and then break it down into all of its gloriously inept elements.
William McChesney Martin Building, Washington, D.C. before renovation began (Federal Reserve Board) |
(1) She's shown us pictures of the building before(2) She met "one of the guys here" at the building(3) She had a "good conversation" with the guy and he'll get her "some information"(4) She was told last year (2020) that the Treasury "absorbed" the Federal Reserve (false);(5) The construction has "been like this for three years." Yes, three years!(6) Three years is a suspiciously long time for a major rehab project (in her opinion)(7) September 17th "is a big day" there
Our Martin Building Renovation and Expansion project hit a major milestone when it topped out last week! 12,000 pieces of steel weighing 1.8 million pounds have been installed throughout construction by trade partner The Berlin Steel Construction Company. The 500,000 SF building is undergoing a complete gut renovation and construction of an additional 42,000 SF. Designed to preserve the original 1974 architecture, the project will be a model of a successful modernization that still reflects the historic landscape of Washington, D.C. [My emphasis added]
As for that thing about September 17 being "a big day here," well, she doesn't say exactly where "here" is. Does she mean at the Martin Building? The District of Columbia?
Men N Black, Sept. 17, 2021 |
September 17 this year falls on a Friday, perfect for Men N Black The 3rd Annual All Black, presented by Bilal and DJ Schemes. Could that be it? It's their third year doing that event, you know. ("Three years! Think about that!") Yes, think about it: A celebration of a top-secret organization that probably works with the reptilian aliens who secretly run the New World Order.
There's also the IBPO Elks Summer Vendor Expo Extravaganza on September 17-19, put on by the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World. Could that be the "big day" that @lovemycountry326 spoke of? Nah, probably not. The Elks are not a secret society. At least, not as far as we know.
We may never know what @lovemycountry326 meant by her unexplained reference to September 17. Will "the guy" she met ever give her that promised information? Is "the guy" her idea of an unnamed source?
One of the best and most concise definitions of "journalism" I've ever read comes from Robert Niles. He said, "Journalism is a form of writing that tells people about things that really happened, but that they might not have known about already." (In addition to writing, of course, this could also include speaking.)
To repeat, @lovemycountry326 was not doing journalism, try as she might have to do so. "Reporting" can be journalism, but not always. If I report a theory or hearsay to you, I have not performed journalism. Similary, @lovemycountry326 did not tell people about things that really happened, with the sole exception that the construction at the Martin Building has been ongoing for about three years. And even that was vague. A true journalist would have told us when the renovation began and the reasons for the renovation, along with the names of one or two of the contractors. A true journalist would not have even made a video like that one without first doing at least some background research.
There are far too many videos and social media postings that do the same kind of nonsensical fear-mongering. "Three years!" she said, and "September 17th!" in hysterical tones dripping fearful worry.
Uninformed, putrified misinformation lodges in someone's head and rots like roadkill. The stench wafts in the breeze, and gullible people swarm like buzzards to feast on the decaying flesh of conspiracy paranoia. It's a rotten business.
Related Articles:
- Proposed Revision to Approved Martin Building Additions - NCPC (PDF)
- Who, what, when, where, why, and how - Columbia Journalism Review
- Ignoring the facts can be an effective—if terrible—coping mechanism - Slate
- Conspiracy theories as quasi-religious mentality: an integrated account from cognitive science, social representations theory, and frame theory - Frontiers In Psychology
- Moving Forward: Looking at the Relationship Between the Fed and Treasury - Harvard Political Review
- Who Really Owns the Federal Reserve? - The Balance
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