Gates and Media
(CNN special takes advantage of the timelines of the Gates arrest)
This story is a prime example of how publicity works and which major players are needed for a story to get ‘legs.’ When the story first broke, headlines about the arrest of a prominent African-American scholar of Harvard read something like, “Harvard Professor Arrested At Home.” As details emerged, a charged word was thrown in: racism. The Boston Globe made the story into a feature and then stated in their by-line “Racial talk swirls with Gates arrest.”
While race may have been an important factor for this case overall, what if race was never mentioned to begin with? Or would this story still have made news if the roles were reversed (ie black cop and white defendant)? It is hard to say, but it is clear we are all still very racially sensitive. That being said, when media outlets use words like ‘racism’ and ‘hate-crimes,’ we need to make sure that they are not only reporting accurately and fairly, but also not creating hype out of nothing.
Is this a nothing story? Well, not necessarily. It clearly demonstrates that there is room for discussion, at the very least. But when charged words enter our media, they quickly gain traction. At the time of this writing, CNN and The Boston Globe both featured a Gates related story, and for both, it was the top read story of the day (so far). It is also no coincidence that both outlets have been hosting racial talks and debates, all with increased viewership and readership.
(Who really won here? Answer: The Media | Courtesy: demotiximages.com )
Whether you agree that this story is evidence of racism, or whether you believe this is just another overblown story, it matters little. The media has carved a niche in the story and will exploit every angle possible. Perhaps Gates himself had the most to contribute in making this story larger than life.
Controversial civil rights leaders, Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, immediately released statements condemning said incidents, on behalf of their friend, Gates. Next, an interview with his daughter, titled, “My Daddy, the Jailbird,” where Ms. Gates indeed questions her father by starting with “Daddy.” And now, a special appearance on said CNN special where Gates will be talking directly to Americans nationwide tonight.
Again, I would like to remind my audience that I have no strong opinion on the arrest of Gates. But when you assemble an all-star cast of biased and non-credible sources (ie personal friends and family members), you look questionable.
So, will you tune in tonight to see this Harvard professor tell us why he is about to sue the city of Cambridge? Do you believe that this story deserves this kind of attention? Or does it deserve even more attention?
I would love to hear from you on this issue, but please realize, I’m not going to debate the semantics of what actually transpired. I’m more interested in how you think media influences us on these hot topic issues. Click the link below to leave a comment!