• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Saturday, September 30, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

Many U.S. newsrooms still lack diversity

by MSR News Online
February 4, 2015
48
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

The result is distorted, negative imagery of Blacks

Bryant K. Smith
Bryant K. Smith

Blacks in recent months have been negatively portrayed in news reports locally and nationally, whether as criminal or victim. “It is open season on Blacks and other minorities’ images and identities,” noted author and consultant Bryant K. Smith. Such media portrayals “fit a certain societal norm,” he added.

Smith regularly speaks on the power of media in shaping and promoting negative images of Blacks and other people of color. He spoke in October at Winona State University on “Media Management of Minority Images.”

During an MSR phone interview, Smith pointed out that this open season isn’t restricted to U.S. media but is a universal practice, calling it “a global supremacist type of view. If you are trying to convince people around the world that a group of people are inherently bad…every time one member of the group acts up, they find a way to connect the entire group.”

National Public Radio Media Critic Eric Deggans agrees with Smith. “When White people fail or break the law or do something dysfunctional, they’re seen as individuals and not seen as the entire race. Black people don’t have the luxury [of this].

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“There’s a generalized fear of young Black males,” Deggans said. “I think right now there is a continuum from Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown to where we are now.”

During an MSR one-on-one interview in November, Deggans pointed out that there are too many newsrooms in America that lack enough diversity to make intelligent decisions on how to cover stories that involve race, but he refuses to label White journalists who use negative racial imagery in their stories as “racist.”

“I don’t know if you are a racist,” he said. “As a journalist, I can’t look into your head. All I can do is look at what you’ve done. I can look at a story and critique that.”

However, the journalist says he doesn’t advocate governmental intervention in “judging” news stories. “I don’t want the FCC judging news content. I don’t want a government body judging news content,” noted Deggans, but added that too many news operations today seemingly don’t want to be transparent in how they report. “You don’t get transparency from the journalism that demands transparency from everybody else.”

“Why do [the media] go after all the Black people [and] decide not to include any White people” in its reporting? asked Smith. “It’s the idea or the concept that all these people easily [are] wrong is what you want to promote.” He instead suggests better “journalistic preparation” at colleges and universities.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“When you take students who might come from rural areas, who haven’t been exposed to people of color, and [put] them through a journalism training program [or] media training program, you haven’t done anything to teach them how to be fair and balanced” in their reporting.

As a result, Smith said, these new journalists, many of whom aren’t culturally trained, “bring every notion that they ever experience and everything they’ve seen in media their whole lives, which tends to be negative when it comes to people of color. Now you are giving them responsibility for covering areas and people that they have no connection to or knowledge of.”

He also added that negative reporting of Blacks in mainstream media isn’t done only White reporters. Some Blacks “unfortunately have bought into the mainstream system,” said Smith.

He warned, “If we don’t start controlling the media and set some standards and journalistic integrity, and hold them accountable to these standards,” such negative imagery of Blacks will continue. “The issue is not whether or not you are good or bad, a Black or White person,” said Smith. “The issue is what type of media we want to have and when we are going to change the type of media.

“When are we going to say that this type of media is the problem?”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Gordon Park’s Band to Play Matinee Dance

Next Post

Clothing that makes you ask, ‘Huh?’

MSR News Online

Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.

You Might Also Like

Prosecutors charge Nevada man for the murder of Tupac Shakur
Arts & Culture

Prosecutors charge Nevada man for the murder of Tupac Shakur

Black Business Spotlight: Syndicate Music Group
Black Business Spotlight

Black Business Spotlight: Syndicate Music Group

Concerns mount over ‘extreme’ school board candidates in Minnesota
Local

Concerns mount over ‘extreme’ school board candidates in Minnesota

Don’t forget to check your blood pressure
Health & Wellness

Don’t forget to check your blood pressure

Wanted: Younger workforce ready to learn about climate jobs
Go Green

Wanted: Younger workforce ready to learn about climate jobs

Gopher tennis coach rebuilds a competitive team
Sports

Gopher tennis coach rebuilds a competitive team

Next Post
Clothing that makes you ask, ‘Huh?’

Clothing that makes you ask, ‘Huh?’

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Sep 30
10:00 am-3:30 pm

Hands Across the Mississippi Walk for Peace and Justice

Oct 3
October 3 @ 8:30 am-October 4 @ 5:30 pm

Insects: Little Body, Big Impact | Nobel Conference 59 | Virtual or In-Person

Oct 4
6:00 pm-8:00 pm

An Evening with Liz Cheney

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: