Documentary Reflection
February 28, 2024 By: Jin Yi Wu
Definition
Mainstream media refers to traditional forms of media like radio, television, newspapers, and magazines that are easily accessible. On the other hand, alternative media consists of independently owned news websites, publications, and digital media that provide different perspectives and may be harder to access compared to mainstream sources.
Alternative Media
The varying viewpoints presented by the Trans Mountain website, Eco-Justice website, and Energy Humanities website provide contrasting stances on the Trans Mountain Pipeline, particularly highlighting its impact on Indigenous Peoples and the environment. The Trans Mountain website emphasizes extensive engagement with Indigenous communities and groups, manifesting a commitment to involving them in the decision-making process and respecting their rights.[1] This narrative revolves around economic participation, shared decision-making, and efforts to incorporate traditional knowledge into the project’s development.[2] Conversely, the Eco-Justice website and Energy Humanities website raise concerns about the detrimental effects of the pipeline on Indigenous Peoples and the environment, emphasizing threats to critically endangered species, increased carbon emissions, and the lack of proper consultation with affected First Nations.[3][4] The disconnect between the Trans Mountain website’s depiction of extensive engagement with Indigenous communities and the apprehensions voiced by alternative media platforms points to a dissonance in perspectives.
Mainstream Media
The Canadian Government website, CBC, and other mainstream media platforms maintain a neutral tone when discussing the Trans Mountain Pipeline, presenting factual information without explicitly conveying political viewpoints. The Canadian Government website provides extensive factual details about the Trans Mountain Pipeline, emphasizing its history, route, construction plan, and enforcement of compliance.[5] The website refrains from expressing political viewpoints and instead focuses on the project’s compliance with regulations, engagement with Indigenous communities, economic benefits, and environmental responsibilities.[6] Similarly, the reports from CBC largely focus on providing factual information about the ongoing challenges, construction hurdles, and opposition faced by the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project.[7] While it does include opinions and concerns expressed by environmentalist groups and Indigenous communities, it maintains a neutral stance by balancing factual reporting with varying viewpoints and opinions.[8] This approach ensures that the audience receives comprehensive and well-rounded information without being directed towards a specific stance on the issue. From the factual and neutral information presented on the Canadian Government website, it is apparent that the government is supportive of the Trans Mountain Pipeline project without explicitly stating political viewpoints. The extensive engagement with Indigenous communities, compliance enforcement, and presentation of economic and environmental benefits reflect the government’s stance of endorsing the project through legal means and regulatory compliance.
Civil Disobedience
The documentary examining the Earth Liberation Front (E.L.F.)[9] has precipitated considerable debate and tension around the conceptualization of civil disobedience within environmental activism. It presents a dichotomy where the E.L.F. is perceived as a terrorist entity; however, terrorism is succinctly defined as the unlawful deployment of violence and intimidation, particularly targeting civilians, to achieve political objectives.[10] The operations undertaken by the E.L.F., which included the incineration of structures, were unequivocally illegal and cannot be condoned.[11] Concurrently, institutional failures to address environmental concerns, as evidenced by the disregard of correspondence, the violent disruption of peaceful demonstrations, and the mistreatment of protesters, also constitute breaches of conduct that, under the law, may be deemed acts of violence meriting legal censure.[12] There is an observable trend wherein oppressed minorities often bear the brunt of repression, while dominant power structures appearing to perpetrate inequities evade accountability. It is posited that the pursuit of environmental justice could be significantly advanced through the strategic utilization of media platforms to captivate audiences and articulate the imperatives of the cause. Ultimately, the goal extends beyond casting aspersions; it is to extend an invitation for collective engagement in fostering a sustainable world to avert the dire consequences of ecological neglect for future generations.[13] The repercussions of environmental degradation are not confined to external ecosystems; they manifest within our own physiological well-being.[14] It underscores the imperative to reevaluate our treatment of the environment, which currently is marred by pervasive pollution and litter.[15]
Bibliography
Curry, Marshall. Director, writer, producer, and Sam Cullman, Co-Director, Producer. “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.” 2011. Marshall curry Productions, 1:25:40. https://vimeo.com/58984675.
Energy Humanities. Energy Humanities News: Instagram as public pedagogy: Online activism and the Trans Mountain Pipeline, January 30, 2024. https://www.energyhumanities.ca/news/carrie-karsgaard.
Laksono, Dandhy, and Rahung Nasution. “Plastic Island.” Netflix, June 2, 2022. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81597205?trackId=255824129&tctx=2%2C12%2Cbaa24e0e-1860-4073-9751-1594920a6a9d-107273630%2Cbaa24e0e-1860-4073-9751-1594920a6a9d-107273630%7C2%2Cunknown%2C%2C%2CtitlesResults%2C81597205%2CVideo%3A81597205%2CminiDpPlayButton.
Stephenson, Amanda. “Trans Mountain Pipeline Project Runs into Fresh Construction-Related Hurdle.” CBCnews, August 24, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/trans-mountain-pipeline-construction-delay-1.6946053.
Tickell, Joshua, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, and Johnny O’Hara. “Kiss the Ground.” Netflix, September 22, 2020. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81321999?trackId=255824129&tctx=0%2C0%2Cbaa24e0e-1860-4073-9751-1594920a6a9d-107273630%2Cbaa24e0e-1860-4073-9751-1594920a6a9d-107273630%7C2%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C81321999%2CVideo%3A81321999%2C.
The Government of Canada. “Canada Energy Regulator / Régie de l’énergie Du Canada.” Pipeline Profiles: Trans Mountain, February 22, 2024. https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/facilities-we-regulate/pipeline-profiles/oil-and-liquids/pipeline-profiles-trans-mountain.html.
Trans Mountain (2017) Indigenous peoples, Trans Mountain. Available at: https://www.transmountain.com/indigenous-peoples (Accessed: 28 February 2024).
Tuytel, Dyna, and Margot Venton. “Challenging the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion.” Ecojustice, August 11, 2023. https://ecojustice.ca/file/challenging-trans-mountain-pipeline/.
[1] Trans Mountain (2017) Indigenous peoples, Trans Mountain.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Energy Humanities. Energy Humanities News: Instagram as public pedagogy: Online activism and the Trans Mountain Pipeline, January 30, 2024.
[4] Tuytel, Dyna, and Margot Venton. “Challenging the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion.” Ecojustice, August 11, 2023.
[5] The Government of Canada. “Canada Energy Regulator / Régie de l’énergie Du Canada.” Pipeline Profiles: Trans Mountain, February 22, 2024.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Stephenson, Amanda. “Trans Mountain Pipeline Project Runs into Fresh Construction-Related Hurdle.” CBCnews, August 24, 2023.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Curry, Marshall. Director, writer, producer, and Sam Cullman, Co-Director, Producer. “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.” 2011. Marshall curry Productions, 1:25:40.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Tickell, Joshua, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, and Johnny O’Hara. “Kiss the Ground.” Netflix, September 22, 2020.
[14] Laksono, Dandhy, and Rahung Nasution. “Plastic Island.” Netflix, June 2, 2022.
[15] Ibid.