In a world where the news cycle spins faster than ever, one woman’s relentless quest to archive three decades of broadcast history stands as a testament to the power of media preservation. Marian Stokes, the Black woman who dedicated her life to recording news television 24/7, amassed a staggering collection of nearly three-quarters of a million hours of footage, forever altering the landscape of information accessibility.
Born on November 25, 1929, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Stokes was not just a passive observer; she was an activist at heart. Her early involvement in left-wing organizations and the civil rights movement foreshadowed a life committed to social justice and truth-seeking. After being dismissed from her librarian position due to her outspoken political views, Stokes turned her passion for preserving information into a monumental mission.
Her journey into archiving began in earnest during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, where she recognized discrepancies in news reporting. Fueled by a desire to counter media bias, Stokes embarked on a guerrilla archiving project, meticulously recording broadcasts to provide an unfiltered historical record. Operating in secrecy, she used up to eight VCRs simultaneously, ensuring that vital moments were captured while keeping her efforts hidden from prying eyes.
Upon her death in January 2012, Stokes left behind 71,000 tapes, an archive that filled three apartments and multiple storage units across two states. Her final recording was the heartbreaking news coverage of the Sandy Hook massacre. Stokes entrusted her legacy to her son, who facilitated a donation of the collection to the Internet Archive, where it remains a work in progress, requiring significant funding and time to digitize.
Marian Stokes’ extraordinary life and collection underscore the critical importance of safeguarding truth amid media bias. Her story serves as a powerful reminder of how one individual’s commitment can profoundly impact the preservation of historical narratives, making her a true pioneer in the fight against misinformation. As her tapes await their digital renaissance, they stand as a treasure trove of media history, inviting future generations to engage with the past and question the narratives presented to them.