The news coverage of issues facing Black people in America is missing a key component - Black faces

Exclusive | 2 min read | American Journalist - US Spellings

Two things have trained my critical eye of media coverage: my life as a Black man in America and a 15-year journalism career. Right now, I am watching a dangerous transition from coverage of the reason for protests - namely police brutality - to the rationalization of military-style policing.

There are media interpretations of “riots” that focus on whether a protest is “peaceful,” and by that standard, either validate or invalidate those protests accordingly. It is important to note, in this moment, that these interpretations come from white-owned outlets and from predominately white people.

A recent analysis showed that 77 percent of U.S. newsroom employees were non-Hispanic whites. That lack of diversity amplifies an inherent bias.

When I entered the world of journalism as a freelance sportswriter in 2004, I didn’t understand that dynamic. I never thought about the fact that through five years at this particular white-owned newspaper, I could count on one hand how many Black journalists - including myself - worked there. That’s one Black face for every year I worked at the newspaper.

A dangerous cycle

Let’s be perfectly clear about the coverage of the ongoing protests in the USA - any outlet that highlights “peace” over “protest,” or justifies the actions of police in this moment, is perpetuating a dangerous cycle. Police are literally over-policing protests designed to address - wait for it - over-policing.

I learned more about Black-owned and Black-operated media five years into my journalism career. It was an eye-opening experience for me because I learned that journalism isn’t only about news, it’s about nuance. Journalism isn’t just about stories and articles, it’s about support and advocacy.

When I later took a job for a short time at another white-owned newspaper, my eyes and ears were now open to this nuance. I once overheard two white journalists discuss how they would cover a news story about an increase in violence in a specific area on our patch.

Instead of going out in the community and speaking with residents, they reached out to a man who styles hair in the neighbourhood. When the stylist didn’t answer the phone, the writers were left to interpret the violence in a way that focused more on their personal biases than on statistics. An analysis on crime devoid of statistics often perpetuates negative stereotypes against Black people. 

Inherent racism

This indifferent and inherently biased attitude doesn’t only manifest itself in reports about the police and crime. It also manifests in coverage of healthcare.

Right now, we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In America, I am watching public officials insinuate that Black people are responsible for higher death rates due to coronavirus.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, attributed higher rates of intensive care admissions and death rates for African Americans to “underlying medical conditions - the diabetes, the hypertension, the obesity, the asthma.”

Jerome Adams, the U.S. Surgeon General, made more controversial comments. He targeted African Americans and Latinos in a referendum on diet and self-care.

Adams, a Black man, was accused of singling out people of color when he made comments about avoiding "alcohol, tobacco and drugs." Instead of a dialogue on the inherent racism in healthcare for people of color, which includes wealth disparities, lack of access and even discriminatory care practices, he resorted to colloquialisms. 

"Do it for your abuela, do it for your granddaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop pop," he said. 

Why we need Black faces in news

Having journalist diversity is important when it comes to creating balanced media coverage. It is similarly important to understand that a personal relationship or understanding to the issues surrounding such coverage is important.

As a Black man I know that systemic racism factors into healthcare, and not just because Black people in America are twice as likely as white people to lack health insurance. The stress surrounding racism and poverty also factors into poor health outcomes.

Readers might think there’s no way these types of things can be happening in what many consider “the greatest country” in Western civilization.

That’s the irony of all of this, though - what’s civilized about police brutality? What’s civilized about the lack of universal healthcare? What’s civilized about rampant poverty? What’s civilized about president Donald Trump’s response to protests against police brutality being military action, and whose response to Covid-19 has, some would say, intentionally put Americans in the way of a horrible virus?

Black/African American people have a unique perspective in answering these types of questions, because despite the claims of the Emancipation Proclamation, we have not enjoyed the same freedoms as white people in America. From slavery to the Reconstruction period, to the Jim Crow era – when racial segregation was enshrined in law – to the present day, there has always been some form of white supremacy that has threatened our way of life.

I speak for myself and many others like me who are saying in this moment: we are tired of it! We are committing ourselves to protesting, legislating, voting and whatever else it takes to create better lives for ourselves -and all Americans. It’s vital that media coverage reflects this commitment to not only surviving, but thriving, putting more Black journalists on the ground and in newsrooms across America.

• Ken Makin is a freelance writer and the host of the Makin’ A Difference podcast. You can follow him on Twitter, here.

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