Race Gender and the Media: Week 1
February 1, 2010
Wow. So much to think about already. The first thing I have to say is, the stereotyping and discrimination is getting better. It may not seem obvious outside of a university setting right now, but it is. Just look at our class. It’s so diverse, and everyone gets along. We were all sympathizing with one another’s cop stories. This has not really been the case in the past, due to the mass majority of students and even uneducated American citizens being white.
At the end of last semester, a group of students in my class decided to grab lunch together. In this group, there was an Indian woman, a Jewish man, a Muslim man, one hispanic man and one Catholic hispanic woman, a woman who is half black and half white, and two white women. Over lunch we discussed our cultural differences with a great interest and respect for one another. This is something to be proud of. Our society gets more tolerant with every generation.
On another note, I really liked the Austin TV station’s experiment. I feel like citizens would come away from a newscast with a much more positive impression if reporters didn’t capitalize from every rape and murder that doesn’t still have a public safety concern.
What important issues are facing the city council? How about a positive story about a small business owner who opened during a recession and managed to make something of it their first year in business? (I’m sure if someone looked hard enough they would find it.)
I hope to be a news director someday, and if I make it, I want to be very discerning about the stories I choose to tell. Hopefully logistics, time constraints, and all important ratings don’t get in my way.
