Some 2,000 dollar bills fluttered from the fifth-floor balcony of the Hart Senate Office Building last week, falling upon activists who shouted “Monsanto Money!” while tossing piles of cash in the air and making snow angels in pools of the bills.
Although it may be hard to believe, even the media makes mistakes. The Associated Press misidentified the protest and credited Hemp activists who propose substituting the natural raw material for petrochemical products. The protesters were actually critics of seed giant Monsanto and its role in genetically modified food production.
Intending to publicly criticize Monsanto, the protesters even went as far as giving out “Monsanto Minion Awards” to members of the House and Senate [Reps. Steve King, (R-Iowa) Fred Upton, (R-Michigan) and Hal Rogers, (R-Ky) and Senators Thad Cochran (R. Miss.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo,)] whom they accused of being too friendly with that company. Protester Alexis Baden-Mayer hoped to spread the word to the FDA to implement stricter labeling guidelines for genetically modified food.
A perfect example of not knowing how to use media coverage to best advantage. These Monsanto activists were putting the effort and dollars into fighting for something they believe in, however they did not make it clear enough for the media to relay their message to the public.
Although the AP later corrected their headline and responded with a statement when they realized what had happened, the protesters’ efforts and their cash was lost in translation!