Media Racial Bias

[DaveyD]

Just some more examples of how things get twisted based on race:


WHEN DESCRIBING BLACK PEOPLE, ITS "LOOTING":
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/480/ladm10208301530

WHEN DESCRIBING WHITE PEOPLE, ITS "FINDING":
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/photos_ts_afp/050830071810_shxwaoma_photo1


What the heck!!?? They both got goods from the grocery store...what's the difference?

 

[BeautyForAshes]

Oh snap!

There is no difference! All parties involved are trying to survive, but the media is just playing steretypes.

Thanks for posting this. I definitely passed this along.

 

[DaveyD]

no problem, im just trying to eradicate racial injustice in this country

your
pop culture expert

thisis my blog http://poplicks.com/

 

[mutantleader]

Desperation has no skin color.

 

[seebs]

It is interesting to note that the two photos were from different news services, but someone else tracked down more photos from the AP, and they do seem to have a wording problem.

 

[MadeInOz]

Well a picture only tells part of the story, it is the reporter or the editor's job to tell the rest of the story. Maybe the white people only took bread and milk or water, maybe the black dude knocked off the register, who freakin knows. And yes, the media is a biased piece of trash, don't get me wrong, and I do think it is a bit dodgy.

 

[Dracil]

Media and Racial Bias? Say it ain't so

 

[Rik]

Wow, this is just about blog I've read this morning, and now it's on here too...

It does appear to be racist stereotyping, but what I'm wondering is if perhaps the "white people" actually did buy their stuff and perhaps the reporter actually saw the "black person" loot a store?

I just like to have all the info befoe jumping to conclusions and screaming racism.

 

[Cerberus~]

You mean there's still white ppl in there!

Perhaps the AP labeled her a looter because she's carrying 2 or 3 trash bags full of stuff.

 

[theeyesoftammyfaye]

but what I'm wondering is if perhaps the "white people" actually did buy their stuff and perhaps the reporter actually saw the "black person" loot a store?

yeah. they bought their stuff at the store with no electricity and 3 feet of water and floated it home in trash bags.

 

[Touring3D]

*yawn* racial bias this, racial bias that

 

[DaveyD]

*yawn* racial bias this, racial bias that

yeah, theres no such thing as bias in the media, YAWN

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

As seebs pointed out, these are from different agencies. If the AP calls all taking of items from stores looting and the AFP calls all taking of food items finding, the different wording for different races is coincidental.

 

[seebs]

*yawn* racial bias this, racial bias that

I dunno where you live. Where I am, it's usually subtle enough that really obvious bias is sort of weird. I don't think I'd expect to see anything this flagrant normally; it's sort of strange, realizing there are still racists out there. Weird.

 

[seebs]

As seebs pointed out, these are from different agencies. If the AP calls all taking of items from stores looting and the AFP calls all taking of food items finding, the different wording for different races is coincidental.

Someone found an AP photo of a white guy "looking through his shopping bag" as he comes out of a broken store window. The link I had was busted, but...

Looks like it's just what it looked like to begin with.

 

[DaveyD]

I wanted to raise a discussion about the subject of judging a book by it's cover as it relates to Race. I for one have given up on the fight to end profiling and to change people's views of skin color. As an minority male growing up in NorthWest, I got mistaken a lot for being an immigrant or made to feel out of place. But as a phd candidate, I've tried to dispell attitudes and initial preconceived notions of me in the hopes that people will think, "Hey maybe I shouldn't judge people based on how they dress and look before I get to know them." But I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting the fight for all people. When it's so blatantly obvious that it will never stop and that it's reached mass media, why continue to fight it? Or even talk about it? When I see stuff like this or read about things like this, I just sigh. And rest assured that I'll die before racism, sexism, and classism will ever end. It's no use wrecking yourself over it. Just accept it and make sure you're not part of the problem.

 

[seebs]

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/30/192236/013/241#241

 

[DaveyD]

Of course the Associated Press (U.S.) called it "looting"...plus the posting were published by Yahoo on the same date, two hours apart. Yahoo wants to be in the "news content" business and should also be sensitive to racial bias.

 

[seebs]

I wanted to raise a discussion about the subject of judging a book by it's cover as it relates to Race. I for one have given up on the fight to end profiling and to change people's views of skin color. As an minority male growing up in NorthWest, I got mistaken a lot for being an immigrant or made to feel out of place. But as a phd candidate, I've tried to dispell attitudes and initial preconceived notions of me in the hopes that people will think, "Hey maybe I shouldn't judge people based on how they dress and look before I get to know them." But I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting the fight for all people. When it's so blatantly obvious that it will never stop and that it's reached mass media, why continue to fight it? Or even talk about it? When I see stuff like this or read about things like this, I just sigh. And rest assured that I'll die before racism, sexism, and classism will ever end. It's no use wrecking yourself over it. Just accept it and make sure you're not part of the problem.

Aren't you glad thesis defenses are too boring for media coverage? Otherwise, your defense could get this caption:

"Several professors put in extra time tutoring a minority student to help him stay in college."



(And if you're a girl, sorry; I am very unclear on gender, and still looking for a singular, animate, gender-neutral pronoun.)

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

Someone found an AP photo of a white guy "looking through his shopping bag" as he comes out of a broken store window. The link I had was busted, but...

Looks like it's just what it looked like to begin with.

From the Salon.com article I read on the issue, it looks like the AP has a policy to not call it looting unless they see the person take it from the store (I'm not sure if they make exceptions for obvious looting, such as carrying goods on the shelves of a store).