The lack of Blackness may be contributing factor in diversity issues

I wanted to see what the contributing factor could possible be to the lack of diversity and the type of coverage Blacks get in the media industry and what I found was expected, but still low. I discovered that there are only roughly 240 black-owned radio stations operating across the country.  African Americans make up almost 13% of the U.S. population but only own less than 1% of the country's television stations. This is a sad number. I think that this in part is the reason for the lack of and over representation of African-Americans in the media.

I think that the reason that Blacks are viewed in a particular manner is because there is someone that is not Black determining what the think it means to be Black. I think that this is a direct effect of the lack of ownership in media. If Blacks owned more television shows and stations, they should be able to give better programming and representation of Blacks.

I also argue that BET does not adequately show Blacks and that some of the things they display has a negative effect on how Blacks should and wish to be viewed. I honestly don't consider BET to be a real station because of their content. They do not show images and programming that I feel appeals to certain demographics within the Black community and I feel like their programming in some way gives a negative connotation of how Blacks act and live.

I also feel that the media only shows black imagery in news stories to where the suspect is possibly Black or if the story is in a low income area. I think they use over sensationalism when they cover stories in these areas and they also use a lot of framing to make it seem as if this is all there is to the Black community and that isn't true. We are not all low income families and we are not all criminals and uneducated. Part of the problem is that we do not demand better therefore they think it is okay to show these images.

Black entertainment is suffering because we do not whole our entertainers accountable for the content they put out there and we do not demand that the stations give us better programming options. I don't want anyone to see that this is a black/ white issue because it is more than that. This is a diversity issue, I am just focusing on the Black aspect because I am Black myself.

I ask that you all weigh in on this topic and give your opinions and statements regarding diversity in programming and the media as a whole.

Let the Framing begin...

Blacks have been an overly represented people in the news when it comes to negative coverage but under represented when it comes to positive publicity. It is my opinion, that the media portrays images of blacks that do no necessarily represent the majority.

When I watch the news I am both baffled and embarrased by how blacks are portrayed in the news. Is it just me or does the news seem to get the most ghetto person to speak for the majority. When there is a crime being committed they show mugshots, interview people in the family and go to the neighborhoods.

If you are going to depict this type of imagery for one race, it should be for all races. I feel like symbolic inilation takes place because each race is not represented equally, therefore one race gets more coverage than they should over the other race whether negative or positive. It is also my observation that hispanics receive the same stereotypical framing as blacks. The imagery portrayed makes it seem as if both races are ghetto and live poorly when this is not the case.

In a way, I don't blame the media because they are portraying what we think is news, therefore I feel we must change our thinking and hold news to a higher standard instead of allowing this type of imagery to be seen on a daily basis.

One image that was very popular that I thought was a mess was when this guy tried to break in a house and rape this girl and her brother ran in on the guy, this became a youtube phenomenom and he became an overnight celebrity.
This is the original news story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZKXAFqdlC4&feature=related

This is the youtube edited version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw

This is the post interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hdC16-cTQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5znBpNEh8&feature=fvw

Here are some more links from different media outlets so that you are able to decide if you agree with me or disagree with me...all feedback is welcome and wanted.

wjtv 12

wjtv 12-2

wjtv 3