Previous Media & Press

Hunter's "The Word" Article
NYCRC at the Grassroots Media Conference in "the Independent"

Misrepresentation in the Media
As you may have read in the May Issue of Glamour UK, the magazine interviews the NYC squad of the Radical Cheerleaders. Unfortunately the article is skewed to please its mainstream readers and misrepresents several of the cheerleaders in their quotes. The following is a fact sheet correcting what the author of the article should have done prior to printing: FACT CHECK.

We may have learned our lesson this time � that although we tried to use major media attention in this case to bring light to specific issues we�re dedicated to exposing � the corporate media can�t be trusted. We apologize if the author has misrepresented the vital movement of Radical Cheerleading, and hope to correct these falsities by having a letter to the editor printed in their next issue.

Facts In the Article and the truths behind them:

The NYC Radical Cheerleaders have been around for a long time, but were recently joined by several new members in January including Jen, Jessica, Cherie and others featured in the photos. The NYC Squad represents more than one gender identity - and talks about politics a lot more than lipstick.

The article misrepresents Jen several times. She does not work for a production company as the article describes, she works as an organizer with the the media activist collective Paper Tiger Television and for a Human Rights organization in NYC. Jen was also not a cheerleader in high school as it quotes her as saying.

Where it quotes Jen as saying �Personally, I�m very pro-choice, The Bush Government has blocked federal funding for international groups that perform or advocate abortion in the us;"- This quote is completely false.. what Jen said to author Scarf was : �I feel strongly that the government should not interfere with a woman�s right to chose what�s right for her body, or for her child. In terms of Gay marriage, Abortion, and so many other issues- I feel that the government should be more concerned with the masses of individuals and families who are homeless, living in poverty, and in demolishing the institutionalized racism & sexism embedded in our culture� than in limiting a woman�s right to chose.�

Jen also didn�t say: �My parents are terrified that I�m on a government list of anarchists. � As Jen does not and has never identified herself as an anarchist, the quote should have read �My parents are convinced that I�m on some sort of �list� because my brother keeps getting stopped at the airport and they think it�s because of what I do for a living.�

Throughout the article, we are continuously refered to as "the girls", although we have both male and transgendered members as well. Furthermore, at least one male member was present at the time of the interview and shoot.

General Media Information

Recently, the New York City Radical Cheerleaders (NYCRC) have been inundated with media requests. While we are flattered, we also know what we need to focus on why we are here: to be activists and to cheerlead. Therefore, media requests are secondary.

However, in light of that, we would love to spread radical cheerleading across the country and world, like blowing the seeds of dandelion. In addition, our message is shared by many, and it is important for us to vocalize it.

Before talking with us, please check out our websites and other cheerleading websites. The NYCRC website is currently under major reconstruction, but there is a wealth of information. In the future, we will have a page giving information about future events where we will be.

Practices are Friday evenings, and often observing a practice is a good option. However, we strongly encourage you to attend any events we may be cheering at.

Home
Learn Our Cheers!
Photos of Us
Want to be a Cheerleader? This ain't no popularity contest!
Media Info

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws