Local News

The seven consecutive days that I had to spend watching the news was torture and I'm glad that it's over. The local news in Oklahoma City is quite boring, so when there is a crime story, a big fuss is made over it. I didn't have the wonderful opportunity of seeing a news story that they interviewed people in the community over and that's the only fun part for me. I can at least get a laugh.

The crime stories that have been broadcast over the last seven days included bank robbery, high speed chases, shaken baby syndrome and murder. YES MURDER! But that one didn't happen here. I used this assignment as an opportunity to watch news channels that I don't normally tune in to, and their recent broadcasts only reinforced my bad attitude toward their bias.

I personally feel that Channel 4 news (whatever their letters are) is the most boring and conservative news in the state of Oklahoma. I stopped watching them years ago mostly because of the boring weather man, but also because the station's delivery seemed very close-minded. This station consistently sends their one black reporter to cover stories in black neighborhoods. The channel 4 website is dry too.

Channel 9 news is better, but not so much. Since they are directly linked with the Oklahoman, our conservative newspaper, their delivery has it's typical wholesome values bias as well. Their newsroom has become more diverse over the years. The station recently took on two minority reporters and they now have a total of four - that I never see. They still send their black reporters to cover stories related to black people - mostly crime.

The only news station that can hold my attention for an entire broadcast is KOCO 5 news. They seem to be the least close-minded on topics that are controversial in nature. The few shows that I watched this week were reported well and I did not noticed any stereotypes in the reporting. This may be due to their largely diverse news team and executive staff. The crime stories that were covered seemed fairly accurate and provided all the information that I looked for as a community member trying to hear the news.

This experience was turned out to be what I expected. There were not too many surprises that I got as a person who doesn't watch much local news. I still have my cynical attitude toward it though.

This is Why I don't Watch the News

I would like to believe that what is happening determines the news and that the media officials set the agenda. But if this was true then we would hear more about issues that are important to us and really affect our community right? In a perfect world. I was doing my online news scan today and I noticed that for several hours there was a live stream of a funeral for a police officer in Oakland. Now I didn't do much research into what happened to him, and I honestly didn't because I don't really care. I didn't go to CNN for the obituaries. I wanted news. Sue me. When I heard about the kid that was killed by police on the BART in Oakland a few months ago and I wanted information on that I sure didn't get it from Cable News Network.

We need a media that specifically represents the interests of people of color because the majority of the time we are ignored in the media. Until we do something wrong. Then it's front-page news. If minority interests, news and accomplishments are broadcast regularly, the majority won't automatically peg us as criminals. The University of Oklahoma alone has a number of people who never saw a minority face until they set foot on this campus. If all these young kids know about Blacks and Hispanics is that they rob and steal, it's because of the media outlets that they have been exposed to. Minority interests are not necessarily everybody's interests, but it's interesting...

When media initially reported the war, it was presented to us as a way to fight back against terrorist attacks. The administration distributed it, the media played the retailer and most of America (the consumer) bought it. I say most of America because, as Santita Jackson said, "African Americans overwhelmingly felt this was a horrible idea." I never understood how people (especially journalists) could undeniably accept the fact that our country was going to go to war without being completely informed. Well, I didn't understand until I watched "Buying the War." I personally pride myself on being an informed consumer, as well as voter, but that's a different blog topic.

As far as recent social protests, the media has covered Jenna Six and the Proposition Eight issues. One of which I learned about from a blog, the other I learned about on Good Morning America. I'll give you two guesses on how that went down in my living room. I can't complain too much about the lack of media coverage on these issues though. I guess when millions of people started making a fuss they showed up with cameras right? In these two social movements the mainstream news media weren't really needed to bring a voice to the cause. We currently have the power to create a buzz about an issue across the world with this little tool we have called the Internet. The media was beneficial during the Civil Rights Movement though. If there were not cameras around to broadcast to the world the type of social injustices blacks suffered during that time, it would have taken twice as long to win that fight.

Unfortunately, the only minority news coverage that we can count on is that of our bi-racial president. Who, by the way, is not going to be the end of all racial disparities in the United States. Check out this news story about the Urban League and the Big O that I found interesting:

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7731/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=4sniAmx4

....and to be even further educated:

http://www.nul.org/thestateofblackamerica.html

Just in case you didn't already know.