CNN's Kosik: Occupy Outrage 'Has Encouraged Consumers to Band Together and Protest What They See as Unfair'
On yesterday's CNN Saturday Morning News, business correspondent Alison Kosik reported on Verizon Wireless's reversal of a day-old plan to charge some customers a $2 bill-paying fee. Citing recent about-faces by Bank of America and Netflix, Kosik concluded:
Now, there's no direct connection here, but I can't help but believe that the outrage that we witnessed in the Occupy movement around the country has encouraged consumers to band together and protest what they see as unfair.
The Verizon Wireless fee fight is another example of the growing power of U.S. consumers, especially when they take their case to the internet.
Like others in the mainstream media, Kosik seems determined to credit the Occupy movement with some positive accomplishment regardless of reality. Forget all the crimes, disturbances, threats, and associated costs emanating from the malcontents with no discernable agenda other than taking someone else's money. Their motives are pure and, although the media can't identify a direct connection between their often contemptible behavior and consumer empowerment, people like Kosik will say she believes there is one.
Guess what, Alison? Consumers hold the upper hand in a free market. It's been that way for years. Look at what happened to the Ford Edsel in the 50s, Studebakers in the 60s, Betamax in the 70s, New Coke in the 80s, the McDonalds Arch Deluxe in the 90s, and HD DVDs in the last decade.
They're not around anymore - except perhaps on eBay - and the reason is consumers didn't like them. The Internet is, as Kosik contends, playing a role. Through Twitter and blogs and on-line petitions, feedback is relayed much more quickly to businesses.
Linking the outrage of Occupy's hapless wretches to increased consumer power is more than a stretch, though. Even for CNN.
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Comments
Kosik was not High on Occupy Wall Street
Submitted by libBuster on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:29pm.
Kosik was not high on OWS
In October 2011, after Kosik made fun of the Occupy Wall Street protesters using Twitter, she was criticized by media colleagues and professors for "bastardizing" her profession by indulging in "snark and opinion." Kosik had tweeted that the protesters' purpose is to "bang on the bongos, smoke weed!", and responded to a question about their demands by tweeting "the list of whines is too long already
Not doubt she received job counseling for that one
Sensitivity training
Submitted by Mike Bates on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:37pm.
or criticism from media peers - seems to have worked.
She must be easy
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 9:20pm.
:-^)
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
What a vacant stare! You could spend a week
Submitted by BBallleaper on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 8:10am.
with this woman and never hear an utterance! Brain transplant material!
Oblunder would have said she
Submitted by ant on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 7:12pm.
Oblunder would have said she was being "unreasonable". No doubt the journolist establishment corrected her on her disregard for the 'revolution'.
Why, here's a 'revolutionist' now...and with such a solid grasp on the American concept of governance and a clear vision for problem solving and the future of America;
http://moonbattery.com/?p=6339
ant
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 9:47pm.
Wow, what a solid grasp of the English language that college student has too.
How does someone who speaks like that get in college, or last more than one semester?!
Happy New Year, Radical
Submitted by ant on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 10:06pm.
Sad, ain't it? "I can't gets no job" Maybe she could try taking the numerous 'studs' out of her face...though I suspect in reality she "don't want no job".
Basketball scholarship?
Submitted by almostacowboy on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 8:54am.
You know what I sayin'? (to ant's question )
Her teeth look ... expensive! Who paid for them?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 6:19am.
Good luck getting her face past a metal detector.
Kosik not High on Occupy Wall Street
Submitted by libBuster on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:27pm.
double post
It's called responding to customers.
Submitted by NeoKong on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:29pm.
Businesses do it all the time.
media
Submitted by kinijane on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:32pm.
Hate to see promising "journalist" fall by the wayside, when they start reporting the
news without a slant to it, then we might have some true "journalist". In the mean
time I guess we will just have to wade thru the garbage.
And the tea party folks are sitting back, gathering strength without causing problems
despite what the media try to portray, could be its not the occupiers, but the TP thats
changing things.
Does this even make sense?
Submitted by octavioj on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:43pm.
Is this the first time consumers get together against company or there is backlash against something like this? It happened before OWS and will happen long after OWS is gone.
about-faces
Submitted by paulnashtn on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:49pm.
I may be wrong but I do believe that the "about-faces by Bank of America and Netflix” happened b4 the OWS ever started. I wonder how consumers had the courage to open their mouths without their example ….. not
The Occupy Movement
Submitted by boscokraft on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:50pm.
was as important to the world as my dog taking a dump on the neighbors lawn
Maybe Mommy pays the bill
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 6:54pm.
Not sure many OWS folks have a Verizon bill to pay.
Yep
Submitted by KornKing on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 7:14pm.
Mommy, Daddy, or The Dept of Women's Studies at whatever useless Univ employs them
Cell service paid by taxpayers
Submitted by Mike Bates on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 9:40pm.
Commonly called the Obama phone, for people on food stamps, SSI, Section 8 housing, Medicaid, etc., etc., etc.
http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/
I've seen the pop-up ads for
Submitted by ant on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 10:11pm.
I've seen the pop-up ads for those, even here on NB,..though they're usually in Spanish.
It's really pretty funny, a few conservative sites have featured ads asking for donations for Elizabeth Warren. Can't internet advertising perfect the 'target' audience thingy?
Same argurment could be made for the Tea Party
Submitted by WhosJohnGalt on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 7:31pm.
Since there's no evidence being required to back up anybody's claim as to what has spark consumers into being proactive why not attribute its inspiration as coming from the protest of the Tea Party - who stood up and said Taxed Enough Already ?
OWS = Nothing
Submitted by rammingspeed on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 8:28pm.
These people WISH OWS had an impact - any real impact that supports their side - on consumers. In fact, OWS alienated people; the only supporters they ended with were the same ones who supported their movement before they even took to the parks, and whatnot. Incompetent, biased reporters like this woman should be fired.
totally...
Submitted by MightyMouth on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 8:39pm.
But she will be promoted... that's they way these things work.
Finally, a bit of honesty from the MSM...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 9:38pm.
..."Now, there's no direct connection here"...
Honesty, but
Submitted by Mike Bates on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 9:42pm.
Then she added the big but.
Really?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 9:14am.
I didn't see the camera tilt down very far. Hmmm.
Good morning Mike
Submitted by cocodrie on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 11:21am.
I thought the big butt was in Hawaii.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
It's time for OOWS
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 6:25am.
I propose getting a group of protestors together and occupying Occupy Wherever (Wall Street, Atlanta, Denver, Lincoln Park, Harry Reid's pomegranate orchard, etc.).
Occupy the Occupation.
Employed people taking turns showing them what a job-earner looks like. Up close and personal. Without weed.
unlike liberals
Submitted by ohio granny on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 11:14am.
Unlike liberals most conservatives don't need someone to tell us when we are being ripped off. We instinctively know when that is happening and we take care of it OURSELVES. We don't need daddy government telling us how to behave or what to believe.
The reason liberals like totalitarian government is because there are only two classes of people, the ruling class and the peons. The ruling class keeps everything for themselves and the peons get what is left over, if anything.
Remember seeing pictures in the old Soviet Union and the women standing in line for hours to try to buy bread. Lots of times by the time they got to the front of the line there was none left. So they started the next day standing in line again. That is the kind of society liberals want. They are sure they will be the ruling class. What arrogance, but also a scary thought that so many so-called educated people buy into this way of thinking.
Ohio Granny,
Submitted by Agnostic on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 11:27am.
I have to respectfully disagree simply on the point that many, many people who are conservative in their beliefs and in actions - vote liberal for various reasons.
Blacks, Arabs and Persians, who are among the most social conservative voting blocks, consistently vote liberal due to the perception of the typical Republican created by the media and our schools.
Farmers and union (not public unions) members who are often extremely conservative but vote liberal due to the drumbeat of self-preservation presented by the need for tax-payer money.
Soccer moms who are generally conservative in their beliefs and how they run their home vote liberal because of the 'feel good' aspects of social programs.
At one time (I believe this has changed) the extremely conservative Cuban citizenry voted liberal due in large to a feeling of debt to JFK.
No direct conection...
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 2:44pm.
Alison, there's no direct connection between your brain cells, but I have to wonder just how you function? Fee increases are always unpopular. Just as they have been throughout history. Except, of course, increases government "fees" for rich people. For some reason, those are hugely popular, especially by the Owies.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
I'm crediting OWS with climate change
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 1:56pm.
Hey, why not?