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.
Thank you, I had my other class read it. Thanks for the other link.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that Santita Jackson's Grandmother (I'm sure her credentials are prolific) can make such an all encompassing statement about a whole group of people like that. "Black people felt this was a horrible idea". That is, quite simply, ridiculous. First of all, she's making a huge generalization about a whole group of people. This is the same way stereotypes work! I'm sure thousands and thousands of black people were pissed the day those planes flew into the twin towers. All colors of people were inside. I believe I saw African Americans and Caucasians plummeting to the ground like lemmings, doing anything to stay away from the flames and acrid smoke. Are you trying to tell me, Grandma Jackson, that no black people were angered enough that they didn't blindly, under the moniker of patriotism, support the war? I'm sure they did. We can all make our own reasoned judgments now, in retrospect, but to say something like that on the front end is ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about minorities, specifically African Americans, being underrepresented or misrepresented. If we, as a society, can turn on CNN and watch the funeral of a cop for 24 hours, why can't we turn on CNN and watch the funeral of a minority that was killed in a brutal way. In reponse to the above comment, I think you have the right to stand as a voice for your race. Everyone has their opinion and I think yours is valid. I, too, was impressed by the video "Buying the War" and I think it's extremly important for our society to understand how the media and the government shaped our views on engaging in the war. Without that assignment, I would have been completely unaware of the truth. I like to consider myself an informed consumer as well, but that video made me second guess how much I really think that I "know." You learn something new everyday.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post and reading the comments of others I would like to voice my opinion. I think you are correct in saying that minorities are under and misrepresented. I do think that it is important to cover everyone equally. But I would like to turn my attention to the comment about "African Americans overwhelmingly felt this was a horrible idea." I think this is a sham and a cop out. There is no way that you can honestly say that you are an American and watch and hear your fellow citizens, of all races and backgrounds, die as the burn to death or jump to their death because they can not stand the heat and smoke anymore, and have people, the Al Qaeda, come out and say they were responsible, and not want to go after the people who committed the greatest act of terror on this countries home soil since WWII. I have both friends black and white who are serving this country in different branches of the armed forces, and I’ll be damned if they were not proud and ready to defend this country in a time of crisis. I think you can say what you want about the wars, but it is very important to know that the war in Iraq is not the war on terror. That is an absolute inaccurate and false statement to generalize an entire races feeling towards an issue. It is not like all whites support the same thing or all Asians support the same things.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are right. It is very unlikely that an entire race feels the same about an issue. But as a black person with friends and family in various parts of the country, with occupations from soldier to CNN producer, at ages ranging from 19-74, that all express the same opinion - I think what "Grandma Jackson" said is representative of the majority of my race. Especially when I watch a video that solidifies that African Americans that I haven't even had this conversation with feel the exact same way. After all, isn't the majority all that matters anyway? *shrug*
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