MLive’s Amphitheater coverage is a disgusting display of Neo-Liberal Journalism

What do you get when journalism panders to wealthy interests? You get an uninformed public who buys into dominant narratives created by those with economic and political power.

Over the past few days, the organization Grand Action 2.0 has likely been celebrating the local commercial news coverage of the latest downtown development project that will attract more tourists, the 12,000 seat outdoor Amphitheater.

The May 20th article from MLive truly demonstrates how local journalism has embraced Neoliberal Capitalism, where the voices of the rich and powerful are centered and not a critical murmur can be found. 

The May 20th MLive article includes pithy comments from Dick DeVos and Mayor Biss, then shifts to the long-dreamed of idea for the amphitheater and the creation of Grand Action 2.0, the very group that made the outdoor concert venue a reality. 

The other major theme in the MLive article is how the public is lead to believe that this public/private partnership will really benefit the public. However, even within the article itself, you can find an important truth. The cost of the new downtown Amphitheater is expected to be $184 million. Of that, $114 million would come from public sources and $70 million from private sources.

We learn in the MLive piece that State Legislators got the State of Michigan to re-direct public tax dollars to the Amphitheater project. We also learn how much the county and the City of Grand Rapids has kicked in, and as Dick DeVos says, the next phase of fleecing the public will be the Hotel Tax ballot initiative, which people will get to vote on in August. 

It really is a marvel to see the private sector – Grand Action 2.0, get the public sector – state and local government, to turn over so much money for a development project, which will primarily benefit the people who run Grand Action 2.0 and their friends. The public has had no say in how their tax dollars are being used for the Amphitheater. Yes, the public will get to vote on the Hotel Tax in the August Primary Election, but they don’t have a say in how the money generated from the tax will be used. It really is astounding how those in power can get elected officials to put so much effort into making the Amphitheater a reality.

The question I have at this point is, why can’t elected officials go the extra mile to use public money that would truly benefit the public? Image if $114 million was spent on providing housing for the most vulnerable in this city. $114 million could provide 456 families with a new home at a cost of $250,000 each. If we wanted to look at the cost of rent, with a lower end in this market at $1200 a month, which is $14,400 a year, then $114 million could provide 10,000 people with no rental costs for a year. Image how much relief that would provide to people who are constantly struggling to survive. It would not only provide people tremendous economic relief, but it would also mean less physical and emotion stress for people. Plus, it would mean that renters who have money to spend on something else, like consumers items, which the bloody Capitalist love to hear. 

MLive then posted two additional articles, one entitled, 5 things to know about $184M Grand Rapids amphitheater, which is sort of a crib notes version of the original story, plus another article centering more of the voices of those who make up the Grand Rapids Power Structure.

When are we ever going to see journalism in this city that will not just pander to those in power, but center the voices of working class people, communities of color and people who have been negatively impacted from all of the downtown development projects that have happened in the last 30 years? When are we gonna see local journalism that explores the idea that if we can raise $184 Million for an entertainment venue, why can’t we raise the same level of funds to make sure that the residents of this city have their basic needs met. The answer should be obvious – there are no profits to be made when people get their basic needs met.