**Previous Episode: [[BDE299]]**
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> [!abstract|no-i] **Episode Overview**
> - **Date Aired:** [[03-12-2024]]
> - **Title:** Birds of a Feather
> - **Episode:** 300
> - **Description:** Digging deeper into the multi-billion dollar philanthropy ring heavily invested in controlling the words you use to express yourself.
> - **Link:** https://rumble.com/v4ivzz6-big-dig-energy-300-birds-of-a-feather.html
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## Replay
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## Greetings & Announcements
1. Happy episode 300!
2. I'll be on American Journal on Thursday morning, at 10am!
## Segments
### Happy 300th Show
The first episode of Big Dig Energy aired on September 8, 2021.
Of course, at the time it was called The Late Night L Stream, but still.
On May 14, 2022, episode 87, the show was renamed Big Dig Energy.
After Episode 120, "The Climate of Change" the show was banned from Twitch, and we moved to Rumble. Episode 121, "Ready to Rumble" aired on August 9, 2022.
Episode 210, "It's Aliiive!" aired on May 27, 2023, which brought the index (the current site) live.
Throughout all the changes, renames, platform moves, etc., the two constants here have always been me and you. And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me through it all, and I promise I am trying so hard to not let you down.
So thank you for being here tonight, and thank you for being here before. Now let's get into it.
### Deadspin Fires Everyone
A reminder that it wasn't too long ago (November 27, 2023) that Carron Phillips of Deadspin churned out this piece of "[journalism](https://archive.ph/6r8ug)" for Deadspin in which he accused a young Native American child of doing blackface, so…
### The Narrative Initiative
I'll let this [tweet](https://archive.ph/CCKwF) from Stephen Miller start us off:
> An illegal alien from Venezuela broke into our country — a federal crime punishable by jail and mandating detention and removal.
>
> He was apprehended by Border Patrol.
>
> But Biden did not jail him. Biden did not detain him. Biden did not deport him.
>
> Biden approved him for a form of amnesty known as "parole." He was judged by Biden to be a great asset to the United States. So Biden RELEASED this illegal and SET HIM FREE into America with a formal grant of immunity from deportation.
>
> What happened next we know well.
>
> This illegal criminal trespasser, granted freedom by [[Joe Biden]], has been arrested and charged for savagely beating and monstrously killing Laken Riley.
>
> One of the most shocking and horrific crimes in memory.
>
> Confronted with this grisly murder, Joe Biden apologized TO THE ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH MURDERING LAKEN. He apologized and expressed regret for not showing sufficient deference and respect to the accused alien murderer.
>
> And, Biden added, we should all be grateful to the criminal illegal alien trespassers who are the true source of American greatness.
>
> Words like grotesque and sinister and revolting don't even begin to describe the depravity and inhumanity of Biden's remarks and deeds.
>
> But, in any healthy society, they would be permanently disqualifying for voters.
>
> As would the fact that, even as I type this, and you read this, Biden is releasing the next wave of criminal migrants into the USA — free to travel, free to menace and yes, free to kill.
And it's true, as we covered the other night, Biden did [sit down with](https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1766575235011121365) Jonathan Capehart at [[MSNBC]] to begin his press apology tour.
Which is, of course, [not what he said](https://twitter.com/SomeBitchIIKnow/status/1766622735491321923) the morning after the State of the Union speech.
Some people like Tim Pool have started saying people need to reclaim the narrative and Tim in particular has suggested replacing "illegals" or "illegal alien" with the phrase "criminal alien."
And while I do think there is some merit to that phrase, and it does cut to the core of the issue, which is that language is being hijacked and ordinary phrases are being made to be characterized as hateful slurs, we covered on the last show the 15-year long effort undertaken to remove the phrase "Illegal Alien" from the public lexicon. And there are certain specific people and groups that are heavily invested in continuing to do so. We're going to talk about them tonight and dig into them together.
#### Drop the I-Word Part 2
[Title 8 — Alien](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-238/section-238.1)
On November 14, 2011, The Applied Research Center (ARC) [launched a campaign](https://archive.ph/a3XG7) to get [[The Associated Press]] to "Drop the I-Word."
ARC is now known as Race Forward after a rebranding in 2013.
The Associated Press reviewed requests to change their verbiage and even provided a [press release](https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093351/http://ap.org/Content/Press-Release/2012/Reviewing-the-use-of-illegal-immigrant) in October 2012 stating they had every intention of continuing to use the phrase.
But, by April of the [next year](https://web.archive.org/web/20130822002138/http://blog.ap.org/2013/04/02/illegal-immigrant-no-more/) (2013) the AP would change their tune.
The Applied Research Center celebrated this change immediately on the [same day](https://www.raceforward.org/press/releases/applied-research-center-celebrates-associated-press-decision-drop-i-word).
---
##### AP Stylebook 2012
[Associated Press Stylebook, 2012](https://archive.org/details/associatedpresss0000unse_y3m4/mode/2up)
##### AP Stylebook 2013
[Associated Press Stylebook, 2013](https://archive.org/details/associatedpresss0000unse_y4r2/mode/2up)
---
This matters because a vast majority of media organizations use the AP Stylebook as their go-to guide for how to reference people, organizations, and events.
On September 10, 2009, ARC/Race Forward put out a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRGwQTQndwg) narrated by a woman named Rinku Sen.
**"Illegal" Word is a Gateway to Racism and Exploitation**
<iframe title="Rinku Sen: "Illegal" Word is a Gateway to Racism and Exploitation" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRGwQTQndwg?feature=oembed" height="113" width="200" style="aspect-ratio: 1.78041 / 1; width: 100%; height: 100%;" allowfullscreen="" allow="fullscreen"></iframe>
At the time, according to her LinkedIn, Rinku Sen was the Executive Director and Publisher at Race Forward and Colorlines.
Race Forward, behind the media campain "Drop the I-Word" has an entire page on [Narrative Strategy](https://www.raceforward.org/projects-programs-%26-initiatives/narrative-strategy) that seeks to change narratives over long periods of time.
Rinku Sen created a monster there, and she is well-practiced. Her bio on LinkedIn reads:
> Rinku Sen is a widely read and respected theorist and practitioner of racial justice organizing, advocacy and media. She has a deep understanding of legal, organizing and communications theory as they play out in the political, economic and cultural landscapes. She is a strategist responsible for historic narrative victories on racial justice issues, including the Drop the I-word campaign that resulted in the Associated Press removing "illegal immigrant" from their style guide. She co-founded and served as publisher of the groundbreaking media outlet Colorlines, and is known for helping to build the independent media sector.
>
> She consults with a wide range of organizations including foundations, and serves on the boards of impactful social change organizations. Rinku is a devoted boardmember of Hedgebrook, the women's writing residency, the Ms Foundation for Women and [[Mother Jones]] magazine. Books - Stir It Up: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy, The Accidental American
She has been the Executive of Narrative Initiative since December 2020.
#### Narrative Intiative Deeper Dive
[About Us - Narrative Initiative](https://narrativeinitiative.org/about-us/)
> Narrative Initiative is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public interest projects and grant-making programs.
New Venture Fund is a 501(c)(3) with [$1B in assets](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205806345).
[Our Work - Narrative Initiative](https://narrativeinitiative.org/our-work/)
[What is Narrative? - Narrative Initiative](https://narrativeinitiative.org/what-is-narrative/)
[Narrative Change: A Working Definition (and Some Related Terms) - Narrative Initiative](https://narrativeinitiative.org/blog/narrative-change-a-working-definition-and-related-terms/)
---
[Principles for Reframing the National Security Narrative](https://narrativeinitiative.org/resource/principles-for-reframing-the-national-security-narrative/)
[Video](https://app.frame.io/reviews/808f13e1-69e8-4c52-829e-8b50218824fc/a1764535-32f0-46e1-be90-d91cd06c52f1)
[PDF](https://narrativeinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Principles_Edited_v4.pdf)
Produced by: RINKU SEN; NATALIE KABASAKALIAN
<div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 60%;"><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?embedded=true&url=https://narrativeinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Principles_Edited_v4.pdf" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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## Tags
### Linked Pages & Footnotes