Local News- OKC region

Following my completion of the local news assignment, the majority of the information I found did not surprise me. First off, I was not surprised that out of all seven days that I covered, only once was there a minority lead reporter covering a story. Being in Oklahoma, which is not a very diverse state in comparison to that of California where there may be a greater diversity in representation of minorities in the newsroom, it was expected to see white news anchors doing the nightly news. Secondly, the people committing the crimes, when identified, were a mixture of male and female, as well as white, black and Hispanic. Two of the crimes were husband and wife combination and both were white. Probably the biggest case that I covered was the story about the African-American female who had robbed four banks in the Oklahoma City area. The FBI was involved in this case. I did not really notice any particular bias towards the criminals from the news anchors. No matter the sex or color of the offender, they reported them based on the facts and didn’t make the minorities crimes seem worse than those of whites. Although the Oklahoma television stations do not show much diversity at the news desk, they do not tend to stereotype or call out any sex or race for being criminally inclined. This project for me was an eye opener. I am from Dallas, and even though it is a southern state, it is clearly more diverse in the newsroom, than Oklahoma City. On any given day and time you can find white, black and Hispanic anchors doing newscasts. The same goes for St. Louis, where my grand mother lives. On channel 5 in St. Louis, Art Holliday, who is an African American male, is one of the lead anchors in the morning and pretty much all of my family in St. Louis watch channel 5 because of Art. Although the coverage in Oklahoma City is non- bias when it comes to coverage, I think they could do a better job of diversifying their newsrooms.

Who Decides What News Is?

After watching the videos, it is clear that there is a problem with the media system. It is clear that the media agenda is not set by crucial issues that effect the public, but by the owners of the radio and television stations, which in many cases they are set to cover what they want. With this issue of not covering important stories for the public, which many of them have to do with minority issues, they are doing the public a huge disservice. I think that it is extremely important for minorities to have media outlets that they can go to for there own cause. I think that these media outlets speak directly to them. Instead of listening to other people's agendas, they can be informed on the issues, which directly affect their communities. After watching the videos I thought that WVON radio station in Chicago is an amazing thing. An African American radio station that started in the middle of the civil rights movement and is still serving the community in Chicago today. That is a special thing, and more of this should be occurring around the country. This success story proves that not everyone has the same interests. I think that the best way to continue to spread the word to minority communities is to expand the range of these racially and ethnically motivated media outlets. Although I believe that this should serve as a building ground to evolve the mainstream media into a source of media that covers everyone's interests. The war in Iraq is an interesting story about covering interests. At the time we were in a very defense mind set following the September 11 terrorist attacks. It was the first time since Pearl Harbor that we as a country had been attacked at home in that deadly of a fashion. When we went into war, the media did a fine job of ignoring the opposing opinion to the war, and in turn did there best to justify the war in a sense to not look un-patriotic. Whether you believe that the war was the right or wrong choice, this is how the issue was covered initially. Today, the media has very different opinion. Although the times in Iraq have gotten far better than when we first invaded, it is still controversial. In the upside, I have friends who are over in Iraq right now. They are doing things like building schools and setting up business and city. They do not want to be there any more than any of us would, but they are soldiers and are doing the job they signed up for and they will be the first to say that. I think that it is a very important part of life to have an opinion because opinions are what have made our country the great democracy that it is, but in the end the support for those who are over there defending our country so that we can live our day to day life’s and go to school and get drunk on Friday and Saturday nights is extremely important. The next time you see and man or women in uniform walking on campus or in the airport, go up and thank them for what they do. I know I do every time I run in to a man or women in the armed services. Anyways, off of my soapbox about supporting the troops. The media has covered numerous protests, from gay marriage, to the war in Iraq. I think it is important that they do not ignore many of these marches as they have done in the past, although I believe there is a limit because if you show too much of a protest, in a media world attempting to be fair and balanced, you tend to take sides on touchy issues in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement benefited the most from media coverage. For many Americans they lived in a bubble of black and white and ignored what was really going on in society. The media opened the doors to ignored images and social spheres that would have never been opened if the coverage had been ignored. We are a better country today for the detailed coverage of the Civil Rights Movement. The media is a very important part of our society, if not the most important. If we do not have freedom of the press as Americans, we do not have democracies. God Bless America, and God Bless the first amendment and what it has done for this country!

Response #3

Blogger: Jamie Olmos Bofill http://jaimeplayitagainsam.blogspot.com


After reading you blog and the examples I just want to say i completely agree. As I stated in my blog, it is clear that stereotypes are present and that the creators of media are the people who continue to make these stereotypes present. I was also not surprised by the use of this media. Even before this assignment when i never really took time to notice these issues as stereotypes, it was so clear that all forms of media use gender and racial stereotypes. I think it is just amazing when you actually take time to notice all of the different uses.

StErEoTyPes

02/16/2009-

HBO (on Demand)
Television
11:30 p.m.
Film
Poker Scene
Racial stereotypes



02/17/2009

Nip Tuck
FX
9-10 p.m.
Wedding shower scene- Liz with family and friends
Gender Stereotypes

Uncle Killa
HBO (On demand)
11 p.m.
Entire film
Racial stereotypes and innuendos



02/18/2009

Ratcliffe’s textbooks
4:55 p.m.
Personal conversation with fellow employees
Comments on book titles referring to minorities
Racial stereotypes and assumptions

www.youtube.com
12:36 p.m.
Music Video
Juvenile- Back That A** Up
Gender and Racial Stereotype

CW
9- 10 p.m.
Television
America’s Next Top Model
Profiling of how women should look
Gender profiling


02/19/2009

Personal Conversation
3:12 p.m.
Telephone conversation with Zac XXXXXX
Comments about driving ability
Racial Stereotypes, Assumptions, and Innuendos


Crimson Park Apartments C302
7:49 p.m.
Personal Conversation with Julie XXXXXXX and Andi XXXX
Comments about males not asking directions
Gender stereotypes

Spike TV
10:35 p.m.
Television
Manswers
Constantly showing women in bikini’s showing them only from the neck down and zooming in close to their chest.
Gender Stereotype



02/20/2009

HBO (on demand)
11:20 a.m.
Film
The Kingdom
After a terrorist attack on an American living complex in Saudi Arabia, all members of the gated community begin to judge all Muslims and Saudi’s.
Racial Profiling, Stereotyping and Racial Innuendos


After completing this assignment, it made me realize the amount of stereotyping that was out there. Before this assignment I never really noticed the stereotyping as much but it was obvious to me after this assignment that it is has a big part in our media world. I guess I can say that I wasn’t surprised at the amount that is used. I believe that people I n the media world use stereotyping to make money. I think that in the world we live in that when it comes to money that’s all that matters in the end. It doesn’t matter whether genders or races are belittled, if a dollar can be made then it will be done.
I experienced this profiling first hand. From racial to gender I in some way experienced this issue that we face. I had some of my best friends taking part in creating and referring to these stereotypes. I even caught myself in the act. I guess I never really thought about stereotyping before this class. I mean I guess i thought that I took part in it. But I did and still do. I think that I am probably the worst when I am behind the wheel. When ever I get cut off or am traveling at to slow of a pace, I automatically think that it must be a foreigner. But today after this class I have began to catch myself when I begin to think of these things. I am not sure if I will ever be able to ditch the stereotyping but I will be trying. I think that these stereotypes that we refer to comes from the media and our elders.
I think the reason that we as adults take part in the carrying out of these stereotypes is the influence from the media. Growing up we hear and see things on television, Internet and radio. Relying on these sources for many things we take a lot that they say to heart and put it to use for our daily lives. If we see an episode of “Nip Tuck” where they show in almost every episode one of the doctors having sexual relations with a beautiful women and then never talking or seeing her again in the episode or the entire season for that matter, it is just stereotyping women in a terrible way.
I also believe that the adults we grow up with have influence in carrying out these stereotypes. I have friends whose parents grew up in small towns throughout Texas, and they have a great different outlook on race and gender but especially race than my parents who are from St. Louis and Pittsburgh. I feel that when one is brought up around these attitudes that it is easy to fall unto the feelings.
At the weeks end, my eyes were open to how the continuous development and use of images to stereotype both race and gender affect society. I don’t believe that this is necessarily correct but understand that this is a part of life and society that will be very difficult to change. I believe that if we did not stereotype that we would have a happier, less confrontational society because races and genders would cease to feel discriminated in a way. In my opinion, these actions will never cease because it would be to difficult to get everyone to buy in, and but maybe one day there will be hope.


Juvinile- Back That Thang Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1qsIwoTRI
Manswers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6BzxlXB8E0&feature=related

Response #2

Kelley's Blog: (http://benn6244.blogspot.com)

After looking at this blog I just stand to say 'Thank you'. Since I was unable to due the extra credit on the BIGXII This blog informed me with the information that I was unable to get. I found it interesting that two of the seven schools listed due require race and gender. I think that it is also intriguing that schools within the same state have different requirements. I feel that being state schools that they would have some of the same requirements on this issue. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future for the school's who do require the information and the one's that do not. I am not sure if it is an issue that must be changed or if it is just protocol.

Blog Response #1

Ashley's Blog: (http://ashley-n-anderson.blogspot.com)

After reading Ashley's blog, I thought I was reading myself speak in a way. After hearing Tim Wise speak it was an eye opener for me. I am glad that we were able to take this away from the film. For myself, I have never really thought about that topic until we discussed it in class. I think that it is very important and I am glad that we were able to open up in class about the topic I am not sure about you but it sounds that you and myself have some of the same beliefs on the issues that we discuss. I think this will be one of my favorite parts of the semester is this class because it is opening up my eyes to elements of life that I have never really considered and is giving me new perspectives on life.

Tim Wise

After listening to Tim Wise on Monday night, I was some what confused. Now, I was not confused about what he said, I guess I just never have really put those ideas into perspective before. When he began to talk about privilege I figured out that it is still present in today's society. Although for myself I have never really felt that way as if I have been and still have friends of all races. I believe that it is going to be a hard ideal in to get rid of as I feel that not many people are going to be willing to fully except this social change. I think the one thing that he said that proved that this issue is still effecting society is when he opened up his speech by explaining that if a person of another gender was giving this speech, that half of the people in the room and most of the white people probably wouldn't be in attendance.
I think the utilize privilege in many cases. From television to movies its is clear that there is some sort of privilege. have you ever noticed in a lot of shows and movies that the main character is usually white. Or that they have a minority friend who is always the comedic relief or hardly has a role. Today I was watching "Semi-Pro" starring Will Farrell. There is a scene where they are playing poker, and there are four white gentlemen including Farrell, and one black guy. Then they are playing around with a gun that is unloaded, which after many pulls of the trigger goes off when it is set on the table and shoots, guess who, the black guy at the table. And he is played off as a joke that he got shot. Now i ask, would it have been different if Farrell got shot or one of the other white characters.
As for the one drop rule. I do believe that society still believes in the one drop rule. I think that it has become a part of society that will take time to overcome.

I think that it is true that we as people need to take in information and change our awareness. I think that people have taken this since the 1960's and have begun to change a lot of things. I feel that my generation is a generation of change and that not to bash the generations before us, but with our generation leading the way it will lead the way for more change and more equal based society.