#SunshineBloc streamers

The culture of Twitter is sometimes like that of a street fight or even a soccer riot. Truth is often the first casualty. As they say, "Don't believe everything that's Tweeted."

The scrutiny of "independent media" that arose because of Occupy -- and the motives of its emerging stars -- began almost immediately with its advent. Bluntly, the Media is not your friend. Many OWS participants knew that from the get-go. Many others learned it as time went on.

Tim Pool has been embroiled in an ongoing conflict with what he believes is Black Bloc for months.

His motives have also been challenged by others who are not engaged in Black Bloc actions. He has a very rigid sense of his mission -- or so he says -- and he loudly insists that he is right and everyone who questions him or his motives is wrong. Surprisingly enough, not everyone involved in OWS appreciates that attitude. His tantrums are legendary and he continues to be challenged.

The incident in which he claimed he was assaulted by Black Bloc -- that he went on and on about for days -- has raised some questions about just who it was that knocked the camera out of his hand. Despite the pictures, has anybody determined who this person was and what his affiliation is? As for his conflicts with Patrick Bruner, they're gaining legendary status too.

The question of "snitching" is more complex than you make it out to be.

Tim was generally welcomed within the OWS community, with pretty much free access -- when he was up for it -- even after the incident with the tire deflators the night of the eviction. But some of his claims about what he was being asked not to cover appeared to be inflated, and time after time he was observed sucking up to the police, at least that's what I would call it. He would more and more frequently state his admiration and support for the NYPD in contrast to his growing ambivalence to Occupy Wall Street. That behavior alone would raise hackles -- and questions about motivation. That doesn't mean he was a "snitch," but he really did seem to be choosing sides, and the side he chose, the police, was not the one that would endear him to a Movement that was under such concerted police pressure, eh? Common sense.

If I can detect all this from Tim's own streams from three thousand miles away, doG knows what it looks and feels like to the people in New York.

Spencer has made very clear that he doesn't approve of the kinds of actions that some of those involved with Occupy Oakland engage in, as has OaktownPirate. Lots of people in Oakland don't approve of mischief, vandalism and what they see as provocation of and confrontation with the police. I'm sure all of OO knows Spencer doesn't approve.There are plenty of people in Oakland who disagree with him, as well.

Spencer walks a very fine line, and I think he does an outstanding job under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. He's honest and up front about his limitations and biases, and he operates with a good deal of humility, all to his credit. The question is always there for journalists in conflict situations: "What do you do when you witness something you think is wrong or a crime?"

Do you step back, stay neutral, and keep the camera running? Do you shut off the camera? Do you try to intervene? What do you do if you're caught up in the conflict itself, as Spencer was several times during the J28 actions? And what do you do when you're confronted by one side in the conflict for jeopardizing the freedom or safety of someone on that side?

Do you remember Kevin Sites? He got his ass handed to him and his media career was essentially destroyed because of what he recorded Marines doing in a mosque in Fallujah. He wasn't even making a value judgement, he just recorded what happened. All hell came down on him because of it.

Attacks on the media under these circumstances is a form of force protection. It's a hazard of the trade. Spencer seems to be handling it with maturity and even grace.

I wish I could say the same for Tim.

As for 'losing the streamers' -- in what sense? Losing them in the sense of losing their support or losing their coverage?