On Saturday, Oct. 26, several thousand people gathered near the Capitol Building in Washington to protest National Security Agency spying against Americans. As juicy news, it didn't amount to much: no violence, no surprises. Politically it marked an unusual coalition between the civil liberties Left and the libertarian Right, as members of the Occupy Wall Street and tea party movements stood side by side. But that's not how it was framed.
The way U.S. media outlets chose to cover the march provides a fascinating window into a form of censorship they often use but we rarely notice: redirection.
The message of the marchers was straightforward. According to the British wire service Reuters, the protesters carried signs that read "Stop Mass Spying," "Thank you, Edward Snowden" and "Unplug Big Brother."
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