Saturday, January 24, 2015

(Part III) Responsibility in Media: Where’s the Story On…?


The American media is once again doing the American public a great disservice, by inflaming and sensationalizing the theme of violence on young black males by police with little heed to the uncomfortable subject of root causes, and only glowing coverage of irresponsible protests.  All we get are biased, cherry-picked anecdotes and none of the facts.  Those few outlets that are trying to raise the serious, but less video-tastic, issues that underpin the situation are either dismissed with the right-wing extremists, or drowned out by wave after wave of protestor violence covered around the clock in glorious HD color. 



I’m not expecting the members of the media to change their inherent liberal “spots” or divert from the dramatically lucrative, just to present a more balanced picture so that the injustice it supposedly cares about might be effectively addressed. 



BTW #policelivesmattertoo

Where’s the story on the police doing an incredibly dangerous and relatively unheralded job apprehending criminals, white and black?  How about looking deeper at the causes of police overuse of force – don’t you think each policeman believes he is doing a “good” job and protecting the community? 

Really.  It was pretty much crickets here.


The Police are Out of Control, Let's Riot

Specifically, where’s the NEGATIVE story on the protesters’ looting and burning of (mainly minority-owned) businesses?  …Their violent attacks, torching of cars and even murdering in the cause of respectful treatment of black males by police?  


The last of Juanita’s Fashion R Boutique – Justice?  Peace?

Ferguson, MO and nearby Dellwood sustained damage that totaled the buildings housing 17 businesses.  In a community sorely in need of jobs and stimulus/tax dollars, instead protestors caused some $4.6 million in assessed damage with millions more wasted in state and local law enforcement and fire fighting.  That doesn’t include marginally damaged structures, inventory, nor cars and police cruisers sacrificed in the name of Michael Brown.



Alternatively, one might ask if the media had restrained itself and not covered the increasing violence “as an UNDERSTANDABLE consequence” of the event in Ferguson, concentrating on peaceful marches only for instance, would it have quickly dissipated?  Like terrorists craving the publicity and notoriety, the less-than-law-abiding protestors deserve neither our attention nor the government’s mercy from full prosecution.


Another form of Abuse of Power

And how about the story on media culpability? – Why not LEAD with this one, rather than wait until all the other stories have run their course and THEN commence with the usual narcissistic self-inspection. 

Instead of pursuing real solutions and conversations, we’ll get sensationalism until it finally burns out, or the next must-see exclusive occurs (maybe Jodi Arias will threaten suicide in an effort to avoid the death penalty).  Ultimately, of course, the media will finish with stories about the media, and how it may have been “slightly” myopic in its police-on-black focus, but played a critical role intensifying the national public’s interest and fervor on an unfortunate local event in St. Louis to raise a heretofore unknown problem.   Pats on the back all around!




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