Why must race be an integral part of news stories?

[OldWiseGuy]

Sometimes it seems like the news media is willing to bend over backwards to make sure we look at the skin color of individuals involved in a news story. It almost seems as if they are trying to feed on any division they can identify in society.

Case in point, a guy is attacked while confronting someone about parking in a handicap parking space without a permit. He defends himself successfully. But the problem seems to be that the person who parked illegally and then attacked the person who confronted him was black, and the person he attacked was white. That had to be mentioned in the story because the white person defended himself with a gun.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/20/stand...r-in-deadly-fight-over-parking-space-sheriff/
That’s when McGlockton, who is black, exited the store and approached Drejka, shoving him violently to the ground with both hands, surveillance video shows. While still on the ground, Drejka, who is white, then pulled out a gun and shot McGlockton, firing a single round that struck him in the chest, deputies said.

The young father then staggered back into the store and collapsed in front of the couple’s 5-year-old son, who is named after McGlockton, Jacobs told the Tampa Bay Times. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Naturally, those who see this division as an open door are going to go even further with it with stories that play entirely on the theme of race, leading to stories like this: https://www.theroot.com/the-stand-your-ground-law-protects-shooter-who-killed-b-1827782534

In another story, a guy does a standoff with police at a Trader Joe's. He's black and kills someone who isn't black. Of course, not a word about the hostage taker being black is mentioned in the story. You'll have to watch the video to get that information.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...tandoff-manager-killed-family-says/816033002/

Perhaps it would help make us a little less divided in this country if those who control the narrative we see in news stories stopped using skin color as a way of identifying who is supposedly in the wrong. That's for the justice system to figure out.

But we have a disproportionately black violence problem in this country. How do you ignore that? The Chicago shootings, done mostly by blacks (and mostly against other blacks) have taken an ugly turn in that many are random; no reason, unacquainted with the victim, just shooting people for fun.

That said, in my city we also have a black violence problem, that the media largely ignores. However when reports come out of city hall it is made plain.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Sometimes it seems like the news media is willing to bend over backwards to make sure we look at the skin color of individuals involved in a news story. It almost seems as if they are trying to feed on any division they can identify in society.

Case in point, a guy is attacked while confronting someone about parking in a handicap parking space without a permit. He defends himself successfully. But the problem seems to be that the person who parked illegally and then attacked the person who confronted him was black, and the person he attacked was white. That had to be mentioned in the story because the white person defended himself with a gun.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/20/stand...r-in-deadly-fight-over-parking-space-sheriff/
That’s when McGlockton, who is black, exited the store and approached Drejka, shoving him violently to the ground with both hands, surveillance video shows. While still on the ground, Drejka, who is white, then pulled out a gun and shot McGlockton, firing a single round that struck him in the chest, deputies said.

The young father then staggered back into the store and collapsed in front of the couple’s 5-year-old son, who is named after McGlockton, Jacobs told the Tampa Bay Times. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Naturally, those who see this division as an open door are going to go even further with it with stories that play entirely on the theme of race, leading to stories like this: https://www.theroot.com/the-stand-your-ground-law-protects-shooter-who-killed-b-1827782534

Looking at the video I believe it was important to reveal the ethnicity of those involved. The news story was clearly sympathetic to the black man. The story was also misleading and incomplete. The white guy, imo, was justified in shooting the black guy as it is clear that he was going to continue his attack. It would be interesting to know exactly what the wife said to McGlockton that caused him to attack Drejka, and why she would have said anything as she likely knew he was a violent man and would attack the complainant. Also knowing that they were clearly in the wrong why she would say anything at all. She is therefore culpable in her husbands death, imo.

 

[Aldebaran]

But we have a disproportionately black violence problem in this country. How do you ignore that? The Chicago shootings, done mostly by blacks (and mostly against other blacks) have taken an ugly turn in that many are random; no reason, unacquainted with the victim, just shooting people for fun.

That said, in my city we also have a black violence problem, that the media largely ignores. However when reports come out of city hall it is made plain.

Where did I suggest we ignore it?
What I was pointing out was the MSM's obsession with a person's skin color only when they see the black person as the victim. When they run a story about a black person threatening a white cop and the cop takes him down or shoots him, the story is: "A black man who is a husband and father of 2 young children was gunned down today but a white police officer". Never mind that the video shows the black guy going after the cop's gun and resisting arrest.

Then in a story they run 10 minutes later where a couple of black guys are assaulting and kicking an elderly white guy, the news anchor and reporter never make mention of the skin color of the perpetrators or the victim. Is there a good reason for this type of bias? Is it possible that those telling us the stories want to conjure up feeling of racial hatred? Should that be ignored?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Where did I suggest we ignore it?
What I was pointing out was the MSM's obsession with a person's skin color only when they see the black person as the victim. When they run a story about a black person threatening a white cop and the cop takes him down or shoots him, the story is: "A black man who is a husband and father of 2 young children was gunned down today but a white police officer". Never mind that the video shows the black guy going after the cop's gun and resisting arrest.

Then in a story they run 10 minutes later where a couple of black guys are assaulting and kicking an elderly white guy, the news anchor and reporter never make mention of the skin color of the perpetrators or the victim. Is there a good reason for this type of bias? Is it possible that those telling us the stories want to conjure up feeling of racial hatred? Should that be ignored?

The public should have all the details available. Most can see through the bias of the media reports. Sadly we don't get comprehensive information, but reports often intended to arouse passions.

Recall the early news reports of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The press had us believing Trayvon was a 12 year old kid innocently skipping home from the store with his "Skittles" when brutally murdered in cold blood by a 'white' security guard.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Listen I can tell straight away that you fundamentally don't understand the concept of White privilege. It's not saying that every White person will be rich or powerful... Here you go https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/on-racism-and-white-privilege
White privilege is the reason why some people get called White trash and others are just trash. There's no such thing as Black trash, Hispanic trash, Asian trash, they're just trash. That distinction of Whiteness before the word is there for a reason. It's very common to have the reaction you're having, it's called white guilt/white fragility. It's not a narrative. It's reality...This is why I mentioned the Sociology of Race class. There were policies put in place 50-60+ years ago, etc. that benefited certain groups to the detriment of other. These are facts. Historical rulings, laws, etc that benefit certain groups of people. If you don't believe me, you can look them up. Laws and policies concerning virtually every aspect of life. This is not an argument, it's not a fight, it's not a discussion, it's not a debate. You can live in your 'bubble' but it's not God's will. Colorblindness, the thing that you seem to be hanging onto for dear life, is just as bad as blatant racism. Biological race is not an issue, difference isn't the issue, it is the negative societal implications of these biological characteristics that is the issue. You can live in your 'bubble' for all you want. There are groups of people who have privileges granted to them as a result of race, gender, socioeconomic status, the list goes on. There is able-bodied privilege (which I have), etc. I'm not saying it's a bad thing or it's anyone's fault, because it's not. All I'm saying is it exists. God created us to honor the differences between us, choosing to blatantly ignore our individual privileges isn't honoring those differences. I have so many privileges. I'm able-bodied, I live in a first-world country, etc. I acknowledge that. Some people don't have the privileges I do. It's a fact. That's it. And I actively am working to ensure that I can at least help those that may not have opportunities that I had.

You realize this is just a bunch of social justice rhetoric?

We all have the package of traits we have. Historical antecedents do not rule current interactions, unless you insist they rule your own. You can go around with a chip on your shoulder, I suppose, no matter who you are. You can be angry that you are a woman instead of a man, Navajo instead of Asian, infertile instead of fertile, paraplegic instead of having use of all limbs, and no one will stop you.

Accusing another segment of "Fragility" simply because they view the situation differently that you is pejorative and antagonistic, and leads to division, not strife.

Unless I missed it (and that could have happened in this long thread) I don't see anyone advocating supremacy over those who may have come from a more difficult background or have challenges to overcome.

 

[usexpat97]

We see occupation discrimination in news stories all the time as well. "Shooter Kills 2, and one officer". As if the value on the police officer's life is somehow different from any other.

 

[Aldebaran]

The public should have all the details available. Most can see through the bias of the media reports. Sadly we don't get comprehensive information, but reports often intended to arouse passions.

Recall the early news reports of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The press had us believing Trayvon was a 12 year old kid innocently skipping home from the store with his "Skittles" when brutally murdered in cold blood by a 'white' security guard.

Exactly! That was some time ago, and the bias still hasn't stopped. It formed the public opinion of who was really to blame in the Trayvon Martin case, which of course then grew into outrage when the court of law finally ran its course and didn't agree with the MSM narrative. When enough of these cases become an outrage in the public due to being manipulated by the "press", we'll end up with a race war. That seems to be exactly what they're looking to start. Of course, there would be lots of headlines coming from that too, so they win either way.