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Participants (from left) Shannon Warren, senior in ethnic studies, Vernita Friend, director of multicultural affairs for ASOSU, Jason Lunasin, activities coordinator for the APCC, Ashley Gray, freshman in pre-nursing and Lauren Dillard, editor-in-chief of The Daily Barometer discussed racism's impact on our culture and communities.

Community forum: racism in media

By: Reid Parham

Posted: 3/10/08

On March 4, 14 people - students, faculty, Barometer staff and Vernita Friend, director of multicultural affairs for ASOSU - sat down in the Barometer conference room to discuss racism in media.

The attendees came with stories they have personally experienced and have witnessed.

Just as participants of the other forums did - they laughed at the absurdity of some examples, rolled their eyes at others and frequently exclaimed the pervasiveness of the problems.

What was most clear from the participants is they are all - no matter what race or ethnicity - affected by racism and they are tired of it.

The forum also made it clear that media reveals inequalities that exist deep within our society.

Participants shared specific examples of violence, miscommunication, psychological damage, economic inequalities, disenfranchisement and an incredible administrative burdens (but worth it) of facilitating change and responding to discrimination.

During the forum, five common occurrences of racism in media were discussed and critiqued:

1. Mug shots and newsworthiness determined by race,

2. Racial differences in sports coverage,

3. Stereotypical roles - by race - in movie and TV plots,

4. Inadequate coverage of environmental racism,

5. Racial imbalances within newsroom demographics.

With the first common occurrence - newsworthiness assigned by race - journalists legitimize institutional inequalities and irrational views.

During preparation for the forum an example came up about covering crimes. Like, journalists being much more likely to publish mug shots of black suspects than they are for white suspects.

During the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, even the captions associated with news photos showed differential treatment by race (Blacks "looting" stores, Whites "finding" in stores).

With the second common occurrence - racial narratives in sports - journalists perpetuate inaccurate, insulting views.

When profiling white athletes, the narrative frequently focuses on how hard they work and train.

With black athletes, however, stereotypical narratives of "natural talent" have problematic associations with antiquated views of Blacks as "savage" people.

With the third common occurrence - racial trends in entertainment media - stereotypes and unequal values run rampant.

In countless horror films, black characters fail to live through to the final credits, according to Terryl Ross, Director of Community and Diversity.

When films require Asian actors, casting calls have been placed for "very Asian men," which was discussed at the Hate Speech forum sponsored by the Asian Pacific Cultural Center.

With the fourth common occurrence - white and green-washing of American institutions - media failures further inequalities of representation, voice and justice.

As Americans have seen with the current global warming debate, well-funded interests are frequently heard over others.

When placement of waste sites, prisons, highways and other public services are discussed, media coverage of the "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) response appears to greatly favor white people.

In the journalistic pursuit of balance for arguments, giving weight to the "economic growth before people's health" arguments may not be entirely ethical.

With the fifth common occurrence - media processes centering on the white male perspective - the institution clearly fails to represent all of the world's interests.

With historical narratives of, "white upper class males drive society," society is quick to blame ills on non-white people, according to Lani Roberts, Ph.D., professor of philosophy.

Courses in the new media communications department discuss American newsroom demographics that, at one count, have been 98 percent white.

Showing problems both within media interview processes and public institutions themselves, white males frequently are interview sources.

With each of these five cases, the forum clearly saw the differences between the cultural values assigned to races in media.

When it comes to solutions for racism, however, the forum was less conclusive; while public awareness of the problem creates opportunity for change, the media profession itself must act to change.

Furthermore, as pointed out by Shannon Warren, senior in ethnic studies, racism exists within every individual. People must understand the history of this problem, and apologize.

The best path for change, according to Larry Roper, Ph.D., Vice Provost for student affairs, is approaching this issue from a respectful, emotionally aware and mutually dependent understanding between all races. Roper also insists on the importance of providing effective time and places for reflection, recalling the findings of his doctoral studies.

Just as the problem is complicated, solutions within media have their barriers - the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics is voluntary and unenforced. SPJ, as we have stated before, "encourage(s) fellow journalists and the public to hold news reports and commentary up to ethical scrutiny."

While the best journalists will uphold standards to seek truth, minimize harm, act independently and to be accountable, the SPJ acknowledges these all are "a balancing act" without rules on a slippery-slope.

As we attempt to bring truth and equality to cultural values, definitions of truth, harm, independence and accountability will change as well.

Solutions to the first case require clear, authoritative documentation of news coverage by race. Many advocacy groups exist to critique media, but the institution itself must join the cause.

Just as Bill Clinton's 1994 executive order to address environmental racism mandated change from the top-down, media conglomerates must stand up to do the same.

The first case also requires a readjustment of views and priorities, ensuring society views the problems of one group as a problem for all.

Solutions to the second case - just as it was said during the Feb. 19 sexism forum - should encourage non-traditional media outlets to deliver engaging, non-archetypical stories of athletes.

Just as people had strongly denounced Don Imus' remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, Americans should ensure the Web 2.0 revolution welcomes such critiques.

The third case should implore media, film and creative writing industries to denounce inequalities and pursue honest narratives that reflect all sides of the human condition.

Just as movies like Harold and Kumar, comedians like Sarah Silverman and shows like The Colbert Report point out the ridiculousness of stereotypes, entertainment should continue to deliver biting critiques and directly engage skeptics.

The fourth case should require more transparency within the media industry to reduce corporate censorship and conflict of interest. Society needs access to (accurate) information to fully understand issues.

"Balance" does not always mean both sides of an issue but should reflect cultural values and effects on individuals - equally for all impacted.

Finally, the fifth case of racism discussed in the forum points out the value of affirmative action.

This is not "reverse inequality" but instead brings more backgrounds and perspectives to the media institution.

As the current media landscape of regulatory failures has decreased the number of voices heard, alternative media is of ultimate importance for democracy.

What becomes clear, then, is an informed and empowered public must speak up to ask for change. Journalists must be open to critique and understand where it comes from and what it can provide.

Racism in media limits our perspective and prevents the real stories from being heard. Working together as equals - open and honest - all people will gain.

The forums will not stop here. Expect more conversations - classism and ableism, among others - next term.

Editorials serve as a means for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale or diminutive. The views expressed here are

a reflection of the editorial board's majority.