April 29, 2015
Current Events
Almost from the moment the Baltimore situation ignited, members of the news media, conservative politicians and others practically tripped over each other to show “thugs” (translation: black people) “rioting in the streets” (translation: causing trouble). CNN stood in the streets searching for and even creating their own news where there simply was none. Conservative blowhard Donald Trump blamed the riots on President Obama (naturally). But the finger pointing didn’t stop there.
During one televised segment, FOX News reporter Leland Vitter attempted to fan the flames by prodding Baltimore City Council member Nick Mosby to discuss blacks looting a liquor store. Despite Mosby’s best efforts to steer the conversation to the more positive story of community elders physically confronting and stopping further violence, Vitter was uninterested and salivated for a juicy sound bite from a black city councilman blaming black looters. Mosby was having none of it.
“At this point, this is not productive,” Mosby said, walking away from Vittert. “All you want to do is talk about…” his voice trailing off as he gestured to a nearby liquor store that had been looted.
Current Events
Media outlets have dedicated ’round-the-clock coverage to the fires, looting and violence in Baltimore, grabbing every opportunity to denounce the actions of “thugs” and “trouble makers.” Interestingly, these same media outlets celebrated the fires, looting, vandalism and overall unrest of revelers after the Kentucky Wildcats won the 2015 NCAA championship just a few short weeks ago. In fact, they’ve celebrated such behavior for decades whenever it involved a sports win and young, white kids behind the raucous. Now, they denounce it when it involves the death of a black man in police custody and young, black kids behind the raucous. Something is not right here.
There’s a better story in Baltimore that the news media has not allowed the world to see. Amid the violence and flames has been a community of mothers, fathers, neighbors, friends — all coming together to rescue a city from succumbing to its own devastating reality. There have been members of the clergy and community members calling for an immediate halt to the unrest. There have been black and white residents creating a wall of defense between protesters and the police. There’s even a video gone viral of a concerned mother locating her son amongst the rioters and beating him into submission to stop the violence and simply go home.
Granted, things in Baltimore have been bad, but they are slowly but surely getting better. Here’s a look at the more positive side of the story.
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| A wall of men separate protesters from police |
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| A young boy offers police bottled water |
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| A man fist bumps a police officer |
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| A woman encourages protesters to go home |
I agree DJ.
Far too often the news media shamelessly go out of their way to help stoke the flames of unrest that's already smoldering. It makes me sick to my stomach the way they tend to present one-sided narratives and pics that in actuality promotes and reinforces the most negative stereotypyes.
But unless I'm wrong (?)
I'd say CNN is taking some serious Heat for their coverage of this story because I noticed this morning they were making a real effort to cover the entire story more fairly.
Not just the negative.
Oh and Trump is a joke. Period.