This Week: Including “The Other”
The Media—Race, Gender, Ethnicity and People Who Don’t Look Like Us
This week we turn to the larger question of the mass media’s—not just the news “press”—roles and responsibilities in a free society. In America, ironically, we take for granted what “free society” means and, in many cases (like voter turnout) ignore both our rights and responsibilities as citizens. Take one look at other nations, including those where we say we’re trying to “export democracy,” and you’ll find people who value the free flow of information and the constitutional rights of free expression much more than we do ourselves. Naturally, for someone who is thirsty, water is a much more valuable commodity than it is for someone who lives on a lake. For Americans, glutted with information, we wouldn’t much notice if there were less of it. Not so for Haitians or Iraqis or North Koreans.
The sub-head on this week’s topic deals with minority races and peoples, but that will be the second subject of this conversation. To begin, we have to look back into our history and intro to mass comm readings to remember some of the philosophical antecedents to the First Amendment. Then we look at how to apply those to what in the 1940s came to be known as a “socially responsible” perspective on the press, enunciated in the Hutchins Commission of 1947. Once we understand how a press can (or should) be both free and responsible, we can look at one hot-button area in which the press (in)famously did (and has?) not fulfill its duties to the public: racial diversity. The Hutchins Commission in some ways spawns the Kerner Commission 20 years later, when President Lyndon B. Johnson angrily asked, in general, what the heck’s going on here!? when America blew up into a cataclysmic race war. How did this happen? President Johnson wanted to know. And how can we keep it from ever happening again. Race is still America’s rawest nerve, and the mass media’s role is important. See what you think.
If I can book the padded cell, a TeddyTV segment on this material will be available early next week (or sooner).
MIDTERM EXAM: The exam will be emailed to you by the end of this week, due next week.
READINGS:
• A Philosophical Framework for a Responsible Press, by Ted Pease
• Resources on Race & Gender
1. Kerner Commission
2. What is Racism?
3. 10 Things to Know About Race
4. Racism Lives in Cache Valley—two columns
• SmartTalk
• Quiz
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Last week I was intrigued by the reference to Mark Twain and decided to read some of his writings. Of course most of us read Huck Finn in grade school, but after talking to a friend, I decided to pick up a book with some of his essays, including "What is Man". In Twain's writings, you pick up on his keen ability to match cynicism with irony and mix it together with a message that makes you think. For me, it mixed in well with what we are reading about this week, ironically.
ReplyDeleteIn Dr. Pease's article, "Free Expression and Civil Rights", I stopped and thought about what Carl Becker had said about freedom of press and how they rest upon "certain assumptions", one being that "men desire to know the truth". What an interesting comment from an obviously educated man. Do I really want to know what the truth is? When I turn on the television, do I see "real" people, people like you and me? Do I see "real" life depicted the way I live, or at least how I see life being lived? When producers create a program, do they sit around asking themselves if they should go ahead and let it air even if it isn't "real life"? No. Even the "reality" shows of today are completely scripted and ridiculous. We don't want real life, we want to see a seemingly really good life that we can escape to, a life we aren't leading to become for that 30 to 45 minutes of our day.
In those few hours a day we spend with our media, how much do we let it dictate who we are and what we think? Is our television, music, and online media the only things that are influencing what we think? James Mill shucked it right down to the cob with his quote about differing opinions. If each of us only obtains information from a few sources, then our opinions will always be one directional. The marketplace of ideas is set up to help us see the contradicting opinions and then make the best choice based on what is moral and does the greatest good.
Do we really want to know the truth? Here is another way to ask that question: Do we really want to know and then do what is best for everyone as a whole?
It's interesting to read about how the press has historically lived up to its responsibilities - or not - with regard to people who are "different." Obviously, we let minorities down in many other ways than how the press didn't "prepare us" for what was happening in the United States. While the Hutchins Commission guidelines are a nice ideal, I think it's very difficult to cover all sides of the spectrum. "Full access to the day's intelligence?" How can anybody do that? "Presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society?" Like there's only one set? I think the first three points are more realistic. I believe the press can and should provide a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism - allowing for "all sides" to be represented, and they can give the public a representative picture of the constituent groups in the society." Of course, that must allow for representatives of the constituent groups in the society to take part in activities of the American press. (Kay Anderson)
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Kay is saying. These are nice ideals, they really are, but are they realistic? If your audience is made up of 99 individuals who believe one way and 1 who believes another, how much time can one spend catering to that one person's views and not be considered biased? Then you have the problem of public perception. If an African-American appears on television for committing a crime, there are those who may believe he (or she) committed the crime solely because he (or she) is black, even if the story in nowise suggests such a thing.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the answer here is the same as the answers to most other media ethics questions -- report the truth. Fight against anything that isn't truth, whether it is false information, secretive government, or prejudice and stereotype.
-Emma Penrod
I read Dr. Pease's Martin Luther King Day articles with great interest. For one - I didn't know that in Utah we once called it "Human Rights Day." I think I've always call it Martin Luther King Day. In any event, I was absolutely appalled by the letter Dr. Pease received following his first column. Holy cow! I know people who are still rather racist, but that's way beyond. I can't imagine anyone thinks that just because black people no longer have to sit at the back of the bus, that we're doing well in America. That letter was dated 11 years ago - but that's not so long in the scheme of things. It just demonstrates how far we have to go. How sad for that person to not know the value of people who are different from him. (Kay Anderson)
ReplyDeleteReading through the articles this week and everyone's different responses I agree with everyone's opinions. In Cami's response, it's very true how we let the media dictate our lives in a way. We watch television and see how people's lives are in shows and everything is drama filled and dramatic. That's not real life. Well it can be.... But not how TV creates it. We like to imagine our life as if we were in the shows themselves.
ReplyDeleteAlso reading the Martin Luther Kind Day articles, It's amazing what that guy wrote. Because even tho it was 11 years ago you know that guy feels the exact same way. You can't change that. But it's sad to see that someone can still feel that way when you think you're making progress. It brings you back down to reality that people can have those kind of opinions. When I was looking at the 10 things about racism. It's like if you break it down scientifically skin color inst different than someone having red hair, brown hair green eyes blue eyes. They're all along the same gene lines. Every human being is the same, you just happen to look different.
I really liked this week's articles. I thought that everyone has great opinions the articles as well. I agree with Kay's comments about values, I know what it is like to be the minority when I spent some time in Mexico a few years back, and I find absolutely ridiculous that people from other countries think that the U.S. is the most racial country because I can remember being spit on for being an american and being called very obscene things while walking the streets in Mexico City. I realize that many of us can be racist without even thinking about it but aren't other countries too? Why do people always seem to point the finger at the U.S. when we know that we aren't very well received in other countries? On other topic I agree with Joreigh and Kay again and how far we think we have come and how far we actually have to go. I think that everyone has seen some sort of racism at this point in there lives and dare say that you and I have been a part of that as well. It is sad that we haven't gotten past skin or ethnic backgrounds. Media dictates our lives in a huge way because we see how others are treated and think that is the norm. I like reading all of your comments it helps me think about things that maybe I didn't pick up in the readings, thanks!
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Ten things everyone should know about race", I really connected with number 4, Skin color really is only skin deep. I grew up here in Cache Valley and in a bubble. I never really knew or interacted with anyone of color, and I even went to school with some people of different races. Sadly, it wasn't until I was 16 years old and working at a fast food joint, that I got to know someone who looked "different". She was a beautiful, dark-skinned coworker of mine, from India. I was under the impression because of media and other influences in my life as a child, that skin color dictated what kind of person you were. I actually believed many of the stereotypes associated with race to be true. It wasn't until I took the time to get to know this coworker that I realized how wrong I was. I felt like I had been brain-washed. We were so similar, the only major difference being our skin color. This personal experience of mine emphasizes, for me, the need to question how we know what we think we know. We cannot just accept what the Media tells us as correct, we need to question what we are being told, and look for the facts. Reading the columns from Martin Luther King Day, I was shocked that some people still have such strong opinions about people of other races, especially here in “happy valley”. It is sad that after all our country has been through that there are still such racist and prejudice people out there. I agree with the others in the class who have commented, that our country still has a long way to go as far as racism is concerned.
ReplyDeleteIn just one quick access to the television, the internet, the daily paper or the radio, we find out about the latest happenings in the world today we know things after seconds an incident occurs such as earthquakes experienced by the countries thousands of miles away or who’s dating who. The press has the power to communicate to us by ways technology has provided them. For almost always, it benefits the world.
ReplyDeleteAs a popular movie character points it out, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Since the media has this capability to reach out and is able to leave an impression to millions of people around the world, delivering unbiased and objective news must be their top priority. It is their job to present facts and that only of course, having put to mind the ability of knowing the limit of what must be presented or not.
During the early parts of the second half of the twentieth century, the media allegedly had not been able to do its rightful job. Disputes between the “black” and the “white” Americans were told to be worsened by the way the media had presented it to the public. With already prejudiced opinions about the “blacks,” they as the Kerner Report found out “have failed to communicate” the truth. A breach of confidence over knowing what was true or not had evolved.
Today’s situation, fortunately, is unlike the past. Although there are still issues between the conflicting “colors” in America in the present, having elected a “black” president must now prove that the “white” Americans have accepted that there is really no race superior than the other; and with their ability to influence the public’s idea about something, the media must take serious steps toward realizing that with their “almost unlimited” right to free expression, considering the civil right of a person, a society or an organization is one essential idea that must not be put off.
As I was going over the readings, one main point stuck out to me from the 10 things you should know about race: Race is a Modern Idea. I don’t think that I can believe that. Haven’t people always been judged and sometimes punished if they don’t look like those who control that particular society? Didn’t Egyptians enslave the Jews (along with every other civilization)? People are always discriminated against even if back then they didn’t have a word for race. I agree, not just because it’s a proven fact, that the media frames African Americans in a certain way. Otherwise, why would the opinion of blacks be so negative in Utah when a lot of its residents haven’t spoken to one in their whole lives? I believe that subconscious prejudice, like most of those who live in small, mostly white, towns, can be more harmful to society than outright racism. It’s depressing to think of how far we have come as a nation with regards to racism, but how far we still have to go.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I was thinking was about gender inequality—mostly because its women’s history month. I don’t know how many of you took a peek at the “Every BODY rocks” event in the TSC, but they had a bunch of magazine ads depicting the way women are expected to act and look. One of the ads was the Diesel campaign “Be Stupid”, and it showed a picture of a not very bright, but very attractive, girl. I remembered when I was in NY and I passed the Diesel store their main photographs featured MEN doing stupid things. Although some of the anthropology students were offended by the ad, I have to wonder if there is just as much pressure on men to be attractive and behave in a certain way. Or is that what they (i.e. men in power) want me to think?
I really enjoyed the articles this week. They opened my eyes to a growing issue we have in the United States. Growing up in the 13th whitest state has definitely tainted my views towards race. I wouldn't say that it has made me racist but possibly ignorant of the racism out there. It is shocking to me the beliefs that people are still hanging on to. In my mind our generation should be removed enough from a time where Whites believed they were superior that we could be accepting of everyone. Unfortunately this is not the case and sadly these beliefs are leaking into the media and effecting the new coverage. This is a battle that we will have to face when we go out into the work force. We must do better than our predecessors.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what Cami had to say about us not knowing the truth. Maybe we have become so used to seeing what isn't the truth and brought up on information that isn't truth that we ourselves are following falsehoods... what we sometimes think is the truth isn't really, but we think it is because our whole lives we've been brought up on a "fake" truth. We need to pay close attention to every little detail now a days and make sure we understand what is true and what is not.
ReplyDeleteAnd the whole racist issue, sadly this is such an issue in the United States, it has been something that has been carried on through generations for people to judge the color and or race of an individual, you'd think that sometime in our lives people would grow up and realize everyone is the same; everyone should be judged fairly, or not even judged at all. It doesn't matter what you look like or where you're from, we should all have an equal opportunity to all of our rights, right?
I am absolutely disgusted with how the media handled the Civil Rights movement in Dr. Pease's "Free Expression and Civil Rights-An Historical Overview" essay. I am also shocked with the hate letter that was shown in the "Racism lives in Cache Valley". It's terrible what happened back in the 1960's but we're living in 2010 now... it's about time for racism to be gone. (That's in la la land) I've been lucky enough to not deal with racism or see racism take place while I've grown up but I know black people are still hurt by the past and they still feel that there are "sides". The media is stronger and smarter then they were in the 60's so it's their duty to report accurately on what's going on in the U.S/world that involves racism. Even if it's ugly, report it so as a society we are not shocked when a riot happens and several people end up dead. These articles showed me what an ugly world we are living in. And the whole "Human Rights Day" instead of "MLK" day in Utah (before 2001) is simply bull**** and typical Utah.
ReplyDeleteRomina Nedakovic
I'm a little embarrassed at the guts that one writer had to submit his outrageous thoughts openly to a newspaper. I believe that too much of anything is toxic to you, and up on your high horse of beliefs is no different. I respect that you could post a view so outrageous and opposite of yours without pointing out how much they were wrong and made false accusations. I also feel bad for that person. I wonder what happened to them that had such a hate for a group of people based on one or two bad instances? I've never understood racism, I don't get the point. It's 2010, I would think we would be well past this by now but unfortunately we're not. Skin is skin! I'm with Dr. King, a person should be understood by their character and who they are not judged by the color of their skin. I think we all need to be proactive and let everyone know that it's ok to be who you are. I don't think it's right to add race to anything you're doing, and that goes for the first Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, etc. anything; the color of their skin or what race they are isn't relevant and shouldn't make news.
ReplyDelete--Chelsea Ebeling
I enjoyed to article on 10 things to know about race. The fact that race has no genetic basis and we as human no matter our race or ethnicity are one of the most similar of all species. When you break race down into these ten things it really put everything into perspective. We as a society put so many stigmas and classifications on people based of race yet there really aren't many difference in us at all. It was also interesting to learn that Amercians enslavement of African Americans was one of the first times in history that slavery was based of race or physical characteristics. Its sad to think that white race superiority as a result of this form a slavery has led to so much racism not only against African Americans but several other racial different groups. Though we as a society have made large strides with this issue it is still obviously we have a lot to learn and a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Harries
Sometimes it's frustrating for me to think about race. It's so damn obvious to me that skin color doesn't matter, and I so wish I could convince the world of that. The idea that one race is better is so backwards and ancient to me. sometimes I wish I could get people (like my grandparents) to enter 2010.
ReplyDeleteAnnika Jones