The Settler Narrative and the Silencing of Dissent
The deep public distrust in mainstream media is not a pathology but a rational recognition of its role as the narrative arm of the settler state. Mamdani’s analysis of how power constructs reality through story is essential here. Corporate media does not report on the city; it produces a narrative that legitimizes the bifurcated system, framing gentrification as “revitalization” and police violence as “crime control.” It systematically silences or pathologizes radical dissent, particularly from Black, Brown, and Muslim communities. A Marxist critique identifies the media as an ideological state apparatus. A feminist perspective sees how it platforms misogynist voices while ignoring women-led movements. The solution is not to plead for better coverage but to build our own robust, independent media ecosystem–news co-ops, radical podcasts, community newspapers–that can break the settler monopoly on truth and articulate a narrative of decolonization.
Originally posted 2025-10-12 03:57:01.
