OPINION
Loss of Impartiality in Media Justifies Distrust Trends in mainstream media reflect destructive standards, intensifying prejudices and increasing distrust.
political movement. However, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press all failed to call out their acts as “terrorism” or label the couple “terrorists” in any of their reports. If this same crime had been committed by THIS EDITORIAL REFLECTS THE VIEW OF THE a Muslim, it would not only be called terrorism but LE JOURNAL STAFF. TWENTY OUT OF 23 VOTED fester on national and international headlines for IN SUPPORT OF THIS VIEW. weeks, according to Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman Arms formed a wall during the unrest at for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in the University of Missouri as demonstrators the same article. By not viewing incidents like these objectively, desperately blocked journalists from reporting on the race-related protests Nov. 9. This adverse the media has carelessly injected its own biases into response was valid considering the protesters the content. As many groups work to diminish have little reason to believe media coverage would prejudices, the media only devalues the issues they benefit them. Yes, the freedom to assemble and work towards and increases prejudices. Because of the freedom of the press are equally guaranteed this, the MU protesters’ choice to reject the media under the first amendment, but because of the was only an attempt to avoid this disturbing trend. Contrastingly, headlines tend to air disbelief media’s history of failing to maintain objectivity, and praise the character these students had their of alleged white killers. own right to anticipate Do you trust the American Fox News ran a headline that the media would, media to report issues fully, “Oregon school shooting yet again, distort their suspect fascinated with image or the image of accurately, and fairly? their cause. Most often not guns but was a devoted or never Mormon,” and a Whittier Media distrust is a Daily News headline legitimate response to read “Santa Barbara a loss of objectivity and shooting: Suspect was ethics in mainstream Sometimes ‘soft-spoken, polite, a media and has been gentleman’,” according to ingrained in the The Huffington Post. minds of 60 percent of Because of the Americans, according to prejudice the media a Gallup poll. Regardless exhibits, minorities and of age, racial identity real issues are left behind or political affiliation, as bias takes over. The Americans should be All or most of media demands to be wary of the press because the time *270 students were surveyed scrutinized if they cannot of its devaluation of at least objectively name murderers for what they crucial issues. A promotion of prejudices may be the are instead of “soft-spoken gentlemen.” But the MU protesters’ reason to distrust the media, media can also take racism, sexism and violence whether they realize it or not. According to a a step further and sensationalize it, as seen in the 2014 Huffington Post article, headlines following coverage of recent political campaigns. Republican presidential candidate Donald murders tend to dismiss and even blame black victims for their deaths. An NBC News headline Trump consistently leads with the most air-time read “Trayvon Martin was suspended three times after debates. But the debates aren’t the only time from school,” and an Omaha World-Herald he uses impulsive, outlandish comments to draw headline read “Shooting victim had many run-ins attention to himself. Mainstream media has fed with the law,” demonstrating black victim-blaming off of these racist and sexist comments such as Trump’s referral to undocumented immigrants in the media. This trend is perpetuated in other forms such as “criminals, drug dealers [and] rapists” in his as creating false representations of Muslims and presidential campaign announcement and his those from the Middle East. According to a 2014 referral to Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly as a Washington Post article, a white couple committed “bimbo.” By sensationalizing these comments, the media an act that would fit under the definition of terrorism: adopting an extremist, anti-government can (even unintentionally) send out an alternate ideology, killing policemen and a bystander and message that these discriminating views are not wrapping one of their victims in the flag of a only Trump’s views, but they are also correct. And
15%
38%
47%
mainstream media therefore normalizes racism and the objectification of women. Over-publicizing issues such as Hillary Clinton’s emails, Trump’s sexism and racism and Ben Carson’s autobiographical claims not only plagues mainstream media, but hides the issues of the campaigns themselves. Voters must dig and click through countless accounts of trivial matters concerning the candidates, unable to find their stance on issues that will actually affect the rest of the nation like foreign policy, healthcare and education. This has also become the case with mass shootings within the last few years such as the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, Aurora, Colorado and the University of California Santa Barbara. Are the names Adam Lanza, James Holmes or Elliot Rodger familiar? If they aren’t, their faces would be. Mainstream media hands mass murderers the fame and audience they crave. According to a 2013 Wall Street Journal article, a 1984 study found during a suicide epidemic, the suicides dropped by 75 percent after the mainstream media minimized and de-glorified their coverage of the incidents. This correlation would apply to mass murders as well. In the past, reporting guidelines like those have been released in the United States, but there is little to be done to enforce them with a commitment to a free and open press, according to the same article. There are unwritten rules to the free and open press such as protecting the privacy of sexual assault victims and minors involved in crimes and protecting the safety of the general public. While mainstream media respects these precedents, they fail to recognize there is a need for new ones to be set surrounding a wide range of issues from race to politics to violence. And they fail to recognize the impact media has on the (sometimes unconscious) mind of the public. Instead, they ignore the upsurge of mass shootings, for example, at the expense of the death of innocent people. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was right during the Oct. 28 CNBC debate; the majority of Americans do not trust the media. This isn’t just a sentiment to be shared among Republicans toward a traditionally liberal media; rather, the media should be held accountable by all Americans. But at the same time, Americans should still watch and take in information from the media but do so carefully, fact-checking and finding alternate sources. They need to keep in mind that all media is biased. Instead, people should think critically about how the media presents issues and form their own inferences. They must not let their own opinions be formed for them and cannot scathingly blame the media for their own ignorance.
French teacher of 20 years Pam Dykes left an inspiring legacy of joy, patience, encouragement and amazing strength. Students and faculty shared memories through a visual memorial set out by art teacher Linda Blasdel. Visit lejournallive.com to read more about Dykes’ impact on the community. LE JOURNAL
December 2015
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