Why is the major media afraid of racial news stories? - 10.22.2007.1

I find it interesting how the media works. Months after everything happened in Jena; the media pops up and gets involved as if this were a new thing. But, since this is an obvious example of prejudice and legal bias in the 21st century, the media felt it necessary to ignore the Megan Williams case in West Virginia. As if the quota were filled for the racial injustice for the month.

But that’s not all. The media seemed to feel a need to prove that such injustice was not one-sided. Thus there was a big splash made when a young White teen was assaulted in Virginia by 6 Black teens. But in day 2 of the building coverage that was describing how horrible this racial incident was, and cries of justice were coming from media pundits, they were let down. Let down by facts like the police stating live on-air that this was not a racial act. In fact this was a provoked incident, one that the White teen caused prior to the “sudden attack” which just happened to occur on tape made by his friend who did nothing to prevent the fight, nor defend his friend.

Can’t you hear the major media executives groaning at the loss of that story? Because they killed it right after that announcement. Not another mention of the story since that utterance by the Norfolk police.

Yet throughout all this searching for equality in ratings, and a diminishment of guilt there has been a blind eye turned to the obvious and recurrent. Sure there has been a special about the increase in nooses in the news. But no one asked if it’s an increase of the major media just paying attention. And at the same time we saw that Ellen Degeneris whining about a dog was worth of 2 days of coverage as opposed to an extra 5 minutes about Megan Williams, or the emergence of problems at Warwick High School in Lititz, PA.

Haven’t heard about that have you? I imagine not.

To give you a breakdown, possibly some time in the first week of October 3 White teens, possibly members of the known and allowed “redneck row” verbally attacked 3 non-White students and threw paper at them. While it may sound innocuous, this incident lead to rumors that same day that the next day guns would be brought in and riots were planned. What fun.

And this pastime was a shock to local residents.

"Perhaps we were lulled into a false sense that our school district was immune to racism and bigotry." - Superintendent John George

Imagine that. In a town of 9,000 that has 3 percent Hispanics and Blacks represent 2 percent in the high school. No racism or bigotry. Never mind the confederate flags and “redneck row”. Suddenly they have a race issue.

Continued in part 2...