Manhattan's `Shadow' Newspaper Revisited: Conclusion

(Having occasionally written and donated some articles to The Shadow during the last three decades--which were occasionally published by the Lower East Side anti-war newspaper--thought 2022 was now a good time to interview by email The Shadow's editor, Chris Flash, about the newspaper's history, Manhattan's "fourth estate" and New York City news coverage in the 21st century. Text of interview originally was posted on Upper West Side Patch's website).

What about the New York Times and The Nation magazine? How is The Shadow's editorial approach different than the editorial approach of the editors and media gatekeepers at publications like the New York Times and The Nation magazine?

CHRIS FLASH [CF]: The NY Times and other state media that pushes state propaganda in order to mold and shape public opinion in advance of a new invasion/occupation of a sovereign nation by the U.S. are clearly working for the state, so we KNOW what to expect from them.

But gatekeeper media, that presents itself as "alternative" or "independent," is far more SINISTER, because they dupe the public into believing that they are reporting on/revealing what state media won't report, while they push the same narrative as state media, marginalizing those who present contradictory evidence or points of view.

Unlike those who portray themselves as "independent" media, The SHADOW is dedicated to expressing the TRUTH, regardless of how hard or unpleasant it may be to believe. We really are NOT afraid to tell it like it is, because, unlike state media and gatekeeper media, we have NO agenda other than to spread awareness.

 A great example would be our exposing the role played by the FBI in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Though sealed by a judge overseeing the trial of blind sheik Rahman, on whom the bombing rap was being pinned, secret tape recordings made by the FBI's plant in Rahman's mosque revealed that the FBI arranged for the bomb to be planted in the WTC basement, where it exploded. When FBI informant Salem demanded to know WHY they "let the bomb go off," his FBI handler said: "You know why we're doing this; we're doing this for A HIGHER GOOD." [That is an EXACT quote.]

A nationally broadcast radio, cable-tv and internet daily news show called Democracy Now!--which has been funded in recent years by the foundation of a former White House Chief of Staff and Press Secretary in the 1960s of then-U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson--claims to have been providing, since 1996, alternative news coverage for Upper West Side anti-war listeners and viewers.

Yet I've heard complaints from some anti-war folks--who questioned the official story of what happened in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 and who questioned the actual scientific basis for requiring masks to be worn, Big Pharma-produced vaccine injections to be required or New York City's economy to be locked down during the last few years--that Democracy Now! producers have excluded proponents of their alternative points-of-view from appearing in a regular way on the Democracy Now! show.

In what ways do you think The Shadow's philosophy of how "the fourth estate" of journalism and an alternative media group should operate editorially is similar or different to the Democracy Now!'s producers' notion? And how many times have you been invited to appear as a guest on the New York City-based Democracy Now! daily show since 1996?

CF: If true that Democracy Now! has excluded those who offer points of view that confront the lies of state narratives, that is unfortunate. We have a high regard for Democracy Now! journalist (and Young Lords member back in the day) Juan Gonzalez, who was the ONLY person presenting truly investigative reports for the Daily News, which usually pushed him past page 20 in each issue, until he split.

Democracy Now! did present a debate between Dylan Avery, creator of the amazing 9/11 documentary Loose Change and several staffers of Popular Mechanics who LIED through their teeth as they spun tales on how THREE World Trade Center towers collapsed at FREE FALL speed, though only TWO towers were hit by planes, completely ignoring basic physics which made such collapses without controlled demolitions IMPOSSIBLE.

Though we are not accusing Democracy Now! of anything, it should be pointed out that the state sets up and funds "alternative" media in print, on television, cable, online and radio, that provide great reports and coverage that seemingly counter mainstream media that distorts, mis-reports or ignores meaningful news while pushing state propaganda. By doing so, they build credibility so that, when needed by the state, they can be used to support, advance and promote whatever new state propaganda campaign arises.

Loyal readers, viewers and listeners, having put their trust in their favorite "alternative" media, are more likely to believe what they are told by their "indy media" source(s), though they are being LIED to in a more sophisticated manner. A great example of this is NPR, referred to as "National Propaganda Radio," by those who know better.

 It is no secret that certain political groups and certain "alternative" media who appear to be attacking and exposing the uber-wealthy and the corporate state destroying the environment while keeping the population economically enslaved are actually funded by those they appear to be dedicated to opposing.

This is known as "controlled opposition," that ensures that those funded by the one percent will NEVER be effective, that drains and misdirects energy of political neophytes looking to join a righteous cause, while enabling the state to monitor those who join certain groups and engage in certain actions. This has been well-explained by Jim Marrs, in his book Rule By Secrecy.

Truly underground and genuine independent media like The SHADOW are funded and staffed entirely by volunteers. Though they don't have the same range or distribution as state media and state-subsidized "alternative" media, it is THEY who should be supported, as they have not been corrupted or controlled by any group or organization.

If any anti-war readers on the Upper West Side wish to either pick up a copy of The Shadow to read or subscribe to The Shadow, how can they go about doing this?

CF: On the Upper West Side of Manhattan, The SHADOW is available at Word Up Books and at Sisters Books, both on Amsterdam Avenue. We are also available at hip bookstores on the Lower East Side and across the U.S. and by mail for $2.00 at P.O. Box 20298, NY NY 10009. (end of article)

Manhattan's `Shadow' Newspaper Revisited: Part 2

 

(Having occasionally written and donated some articles to The Shadow during the last three decades--which were occasionally published by the Lower East Side anti-war newspaper--thought 2022 was now a good time to interview by email The Shadow's editor, Chris Flash, about the newspaper's history, Manhattan's "fourth estate" and New York City news coverage in the 21st century. Text of interview originally was posted on Upper West Side Patch's website).

In the 1960s and early 1970s in Manhattan, anti-war underground counter-cultural weekly newspapers, like the East Village Other [EVO) and RAT, that were both Lower East Side-based, were also read by many Upper West Side anti-war readers who identified with the counter-culture of the 1960s and early 1970s. How is The Shadow similar or different, in the way it covers New York City, national and world events, and U.S. culture, to how the East Village Other and RAT covered the news and culture in the 1960s and early 1970s?

CHRIS FLASH [CF]:As a result of the false and negative reports by mainstream media about the Tompkins Square Police Riot, that I had personally witnessed, we realized the need to resurrect the underground press, as it had existed and flourished on the Lower East Side from the late-1960s through the mid-1970s. Those papers included The East Village Other, Other Scenes, The Village Voice (not exactly underground, but very relevant), the RAT and Overthrow (originally The Yipster Times, published by our heroes, the YIPPIES).

We decided to model ourselves after the more radical of the underground papers, so we followed the models of the RAT and Overthrow (which stopped publishing about six months before The SHADOW started publishing.) Like The RAT and Overthrow, The SHADOW was determined to present information and news in order to encourage political activism and to appeal to the counterculture in New York City.

In the 1970s in Manhattan, anti-war counter-cultural groups that were based on the Lower East Side--like the Yippies and Zippies--occasionally published and distributed newspapers like The Yipster Times and Overthrow, which published some articles supportive of the Rock Liberation Front and its demos against hip capitalist music industry publications, like Jann Wenner's then-owned Rolling Stone magazine, as well as articles that questioned the Warren Commission's "official story" about what happened in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22, 1963. How is The Shadow newspaper similar or different to The Yipster Times and Overthrow, in the kinds of articles it has been publishing since the 1990s?

CF: Like Yipster Times/Overthrow, The SHADOW was NOT dependent on advertisers, so we didn't have to pull punches or water down or pull stories out of fear of losing ad income. Like Overthrow and The RAT, we published controversial reports and many how-to pieces for demonstrators and activists, as well as a Down By Law section featuring items written by movement lawyers.

We had (and still have) dedicated investigative reporters who are more like detectives (which we also have working for us!) when it comes to getting the dirt on corrupt politicians or corporate scum.

In what ways do think The Shadow's approach to journalism during the last 30 years has, historically, been different or similar, to how the Village Voice--which, historically, was owned by Billionaire Rupert Murdoch and Billionaire Leonard Stern at different times--has covered the news and U.S. culture?

CF: Before becoming a commodity to be bought and sold between non-caring billionaires who gave not a damn about its mission nor purpose, the Voice was started by a group of intellectual hip people, including writer Norman Mailer, to provide news that was of interest to their readers.

In their time, at their peak, the Voice was a thick "must read" weekly paper, jam-packed with news and reviews and great writers who provided in-depth exposés, including Wayne Barrett and Jack Newfield. Nat Hentoff wrote great pieces as well.

Once cat litter magnate Leonard Stern got his mitts on the Voice, mass-firings followed. When the Voice lost its great writers, it lost its voice.

The SHADOW's approach to journalism was and is to go for the jugular when exposing government conspiracies, corrupt politicians and kops abusing their authority, presenting eye-witness first person reportage of demonstrations and other events.

The idea of "balanced journalism" was and is irrelevant to us because we don't need to call the NYPD press office for their quote when we SEE riot kops beating people in the park. We report on what we see, what we experience and what we KNOW. We at The SHADOW also refuse to remove ourselves from a story as some "journalists" think they are required to do in order to avoid an appearance of bias.

The SHADOW has always taken a STAND, whether supporting the Lower East Side squatter movement, in which abandoned city-owned buildings were resuscitated by community members who made them habitable at NO cost to the city or to taxpayers, defending the homeless in and around Tompkins Square Park, working with activists to provide them with food and materials and defending them against police raids, or demonstrating against the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, joining demonstrators marching to confront NYC television stations over their distorted coverage of anti-war protests.

We have never been afraid to present investigative journalism with a sharp point of view. Though we are definitely opinionated, everything we report is TRUE and DOCUMENTED. (end of part 2. To be continued)

Manhattan's `Shadow' Newspaper Revisited: Part 1

(Having occasionally written and donated some articles to The Shadow during the last three decades--which were occasionally published by the Lower East Side newspaper--thought 2022 was now a good time to interview by email The Shadow"s editor, Chris Flash, about the newspaper's history, Manhattan's "fourth estate" and New York City news coverage in the 21st century. Text of this interview was also previously posted on the Upper West Side Patch's website).

Why is the Lower East Side newspaper called "The Shadow"?

CHRIS FLASH [CF]: We were discussing the idea of creating an underground newspaper and threw a bunch of names around. I suddenly came up with THE SHADOW, after the 1940s radio show, featuring a detective named Lamont Cranston, who solves crimes and murders in unique ways. Each show was introduced with an eerie voice that said: "Who knows where evil lurks in the hearts of men? The SHADOW knows!"

How long has The Shadow newspaper been around?

CF: We published our first issue in March 1989. We took a five year break in 2008, but have resumed published regularly since 2013. Covidmania forced us to stop for more than two years, but we have just published a new issue (Issue #63, on August 4, 2022).

Why was The Shadow newspaper created? And who was involved, historically, in initially establishing The Shadow newspaper?

CF: The SHADOW came about as a result of the August 6,1988 Police Riot in Tompkins Square, in which kops from all over the city descended on Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in furtherance of a non-existent park curfew. A week earlier, a few kops chased us out of the park with force, hitting people with clubs, announcing that "the park is closed."

Over the following seven days, kops built up their forces inside and outside of the park, with a mobile command center and cops on horses and marching on foot in formation. Quite a spectacle! They were determined to kick our asses if we dared to object to their enforcing their curfew that coming weekend. Like the Viet Cong, we also built up our forces in preparation for the conflict that kops were setting up for us, but, unlike them, we operated in the SHADOWS.

On the night of August 6, all hell broke loose, with kops indiscriminately beating people within range of their clubs, from demonstrators opposing their presence to passersby to workers in nearby restaurants. Among many instances of brutality, I saw kops beat the crap out of an elderly homeless woman on her way into the park to sleep for the night, unaware of what was happening outside the park.

Kops ran into the 7A Café, beating a waitress - when her manager came to her aid, kops dragged the manager out of the café by her hair. Kops on foot chased us up and down Avenue A, west on St. Marx Place and along side streets as mounted kops on horseback running down St. Marx beat people, polo-style.

To thwart identification, riot kops had black elastic bands covering their badge numbers. They even brought in a helicopter, which blew hats off kops' heads - watching them scramble to retrieve their hats, Keystone Kops-style, was hilarious! By 6:00am, kops withdrew, enabling them to claim a "victory" because they had kept us out of the park until the "official" hour at which it opened that day.

On our side, we were able to claim a "victory" as we had REFUSED to back down in the face of police state repression. Immediately, as we retook the park, some raided the nearby Christodora House, a settlement house at Avenue B and Ninth Street that was built in 1929 for poor immigrant arrivals, but which by 1988 had become a luxury condo for the wealthy.

The lobby guard wisely split as a large tree in a planter was dragged from the lobby and thrown onto Avenue B. The call went out to "save the tree!!!!" so it was planted in the park.

In the aftermath of the Tompkins Square Police Riot, mainstream media reports in print and on television were sympathetic to those assaulted by riot kops. Video provided free to local tv stations by a witness to the riot that showed kops brutalizing people with covered badges, was broadcast nightly. Even NYC Mayor Ed Koch called it a "police riot."

However, as the days and weeks passed, the tone in the media shifted. Suddenly it was reported that WE started the riot--that WE had caused all those innocent kops to come from all over the city to our neighborhood to restore order. Suddenly those kops were the "victims!" Police commissioner Ben Ward told the media that we were "White kids from Scarsdale!!" Talk about adding INSULT to injury!

Fortunately, in our scene, we have a large number of politically-minded, aware and active writers, photographers and artists who were equally concerned about the mis-use of police to pave the way for gentrification and to make our neighborhood "investor friendly" and safe for the monied transients whose desire to live here was causing the removal of longtime residents and small businesses and venues that served our community.

I already knew many such creative and politically-active people, but the riot brought even more of us together. We were all committed and PASSIONATE. Having shared that common experience, we were comrades!

From the beginning, the SHADOW has functioned with a core group, but we have had many people join us, some for a short while, others for decades. In order to run effectively, The SHADOW is a combination of a collective that seeks input from everyone and an editorial staff that makes final decisions. (end of part 1. To be continued)