COVID-19 hit the world harder than anyone expected. It was a time of confusion, isolation, setbacks, and revelation. It was during this time that the disparities of the black and brown community reared its face once again, revealing the painful differences between the haves and have-nots. Despite the illusion of constant media coverage across the United States, groundbreaking stories and instances affecting marginalized or underrepresented communities went underreported, leading to the shaping of public perception, policy priorities, and the outcomes of social and societal justice. As someone who has witnessed several social injustices occur within the community, I have often wondered why the problems weren’t recognized at a larger level.
An issue separate from COVID but still prevalent led me to reflect on a repeated media practice over the past decade. Practices such as describing excessive opioid use with terms such as ‘crisis’ or ‘epidemic.’ Opioids have existed as a problem in our country for years. The question became, if opioids were around years prior, killing thousands of people, why wasn’t it described as a crisis then? Opioids have been a problem in our country for years. Why, in the past decade, have terms such as “Opioid Crisis” or “Opioid Epidemic” been used to describe the excessive usage?
The change occurred within the recent decade when excessive amounts of Opioids were reported to have a heavy presence predominantly within white communities. Before this, Opioids were reported to have an excessive presence within predominantly black communities. The only difference is that when the drug was in the black community, it was labeled as drug abuse or a “War on Drugs”. Many people fail to recognize the weight of words, words hold emotion and cause impact. I ask you, if you heard the terms “War on Drugs” versus “Opioid Epidemic”, which would you be inclined to show more interest in and persistent campaigning for?
Why are some issues deemed more important than others, and who decides this? Why does the same story receive a different narrative, depending on who is affected by it? To answer this question, we first need to point out the various gatekeepers of the media. Companies, news publications, and journalists. Through their words and articles, journalists have had the opportunity to paint narratives and share certain parts of a story. Companies and news publications can paint narratives by threatening to discontinue a news outlet or reduce funding if a story conflicts with their financial influencers.
An omission of stories is not a new phenomenon in the media. We’ve seen this narrative play out in movies, TV shows, and real life when journalists decide to speak out. Thousands of stories have been omitted throughout history; more often than not, they are the stories of minorities that have been swept under the rug. COVID-19 birthed many perspectives and experiences. Prior to COVID, most people never envisioned that a time would come forcing them to spend 24 hours a day stuck in their homes. This mandate changed house dynamics. Overnight, everyone needed their own in-home office, rooms that once comfortably fit two seemed suffocating for even one.
The pandemic was referred to as the “Great Equalizer” by many due to the fact that it affected everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or societal status. This concept was consistently pushed throughout the first year in order to bring everyone a sense of peace and togetherness. To allow everyone to feel like we were battling this as one. While that might have been the case within the first couple of weeks, this changed as time continued.
Schools in upper-income areas had technology and plans set in place to welcome students back safely the next school year. In contrast, many schools in lower-income areas that lacked the funding had to continue remote learning, or attend school and risk compromising their health, as well as their families. These fallacies were widely ignored by a number of media outlets. School disparity coverage seemed to receive the most coverage on social media. Social media allowed us to be our own journalists and shed light on topics we hold dear.
With the introduction of social media, we each have the opportunity to report on the world around us. With the use of social media, users were able to speak freely about situations without censorship. If the content was censored, users still found ways to work around the restrictions, making it easier to reveal the truth. On TikTok, creators often speak in code or use numbers and abbreviations to discuss an important topic that could potentially be flagged for going against guidelines. Social media allows citizen journalism to begin challenging these patterns, yet it has not eradicated them.
The ability to dictate what stories are heard or told is a sense of ownership. You own a group’s narrative, you own a minority’s representation. Several companies own multiple media outlets, but the most notable in the U.S. are the “Big Six”. The Big Six are six conglomerates that control the distribution of information. As previously stated, companies can control the direction in which a media outlet or a journalist can document a story. Meaning, hypothetically, if a conglomerate owns 12 media outlets, all 12 of those outlets will be unable to discuss certain topics.
Even though it’s easy to place the blame solely on the conglomerates, the media outlets themselves, as previously noted, also play a role. Newsrooms that lack diversity within their leadership and editorial teams can greatly affect the content they choose to produce. Economic pressures can also play a significant role, as networks may lean toward “mainstream” news to achieve better metrics. Revenue from ads and metrics is important to all news publications, but especially those that are local or non-profit. Less funding means less revenue, and for a local or non-profit station, this could result in firing essential members of your team. Fewer local reporters, results in less of your community’s needs and essential information.
Losing key people on your team, like local reporters or writers, can greatly affect the journalistic hubs cities depend on. Minorities and rural areas are the main groups that suffer from neglect in the media. Implicit bias and “newsworthiness” filters can prevent diverse stories from being heard. In order to find stories the public will value, you must talk to the public. You can’t simply follow the metrics. Yes, it will tell you how many people interacted with the content, but it won’t tell you how many people you’ve informed or inspired. This is why diversity in the newsroom is important. Having people from different backgrounds in the same room where articles are created and narratives are born is important.
Attention from the media and accurate narratives are extremely important. Issues that aren’t seen in headlines rarely reach policymakers. First impressions are everything, and when a journalist puts a story out there, it is their responsibility to make sure they are not misrepresenting the people. Misrepresentation not only damages the reputation of a community but also discourages policymakers from engaging in the matter. Inaccurate coverage of our societal problems also provides a skewed understanding of which problems are actual “national priorities.”
Inaccurate reporting can make people unaware of the problems and challenges faced in their own backyard. Alienating a community, person, or group from the media has real-world consequences and can be the start of emotional and cultural erasure. Being featured in the media is not a privilege but a right. Everyone deserves to see a representation of themselves in the media; it is no one group’s right to hoard exposure.
Problems such as environmental racism have been widely overlooked by the media. In the Bronx, New York, there is an alleyway located in the neighborhoods of Mott Haven and Hunts Point, which was nicknamed “Asthma Alley.” This nickname is due to the high rates of asthma found within that area. Asthma can be triggered by environmental factors such as air pollution. The Bronx experiences a high level of pollution, which is rated unhealthy for sensitive groups. The lack of space, excessive vehicle traffic, popular highways, and waste facilities all contribute to air pollution.
Unfortunately, the Bronx is not the only minority filled community in America that is experiencing environmental racism. In between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, there is an area of land known as “Cancer Alley.” The land received this nickname due to the dangerous pollutants and toxins released into the air. According to Robert Smith.com, “Cancer Alley” is the nickname of a swath of land between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA, that is home to many Black and underrepresented communities. Notably, the land is also the location of petrochemical plants and refineries. The plants and refineries emit unhealthy pollutants and toxins into the air, the local water supply, and the land. As a result, locals are subject to high rates of cancer and other health issues, including birth defects and respiratory illnesses.”
Environmental racism is not accidental. The placement of these refineries, plants, waste, and zones is deliberate. Corporations choose these locations because there is less political power within these communities. Corporations choose zones where they know they can operate their businesses without interference from the government or legal systems. Corporations prey on lower-income areas because they know they do not receive full support from the governmental or law enforcement agencies.
As of right now, it seems local and independent outlets are our main source of hope in the fight against the silencing of our voices. Local and independent outlets that do not solely rely on big corporations have the greatest opportunity to speak out against the injustices occurring not only within their community but around the world. Establishing partnerships between the mainstream and grassroots media is one way to make sure every point of view and story is accounted for. A majority, if not all, mainstream media outlets are established within a community, yet the company is paid millions to cover stories from other parts of the world, without stopping to look in their backyard. Grassroots media teams can help mainstream media cover stories they might have missed.
Diversity within a company is a strength, not a weakness. Hiring journalists from underrepresented backgrounds can provide insight into stories and matters that are affecting their community. A diverse editorial team can result in each community having a story that clearly represents itself. In order for the media teams to know this is what we would like to see, we must make our voices heard! Contact the news publication, and tell them you want to see more diverse stories, and advise them of what’s taking place in your community. We must demand coverage that not only represents all of us, but also represents us accurately.
The goal of this is not a huge mass production of stories; it’s a fight for fair storytelling. Journalists, news outlets, and readers are all stakeholders in this situation. Each of them has the power to broaden public discourse. Underreporting is not a small matter that can be brushed under the rug; the underreporting of a disparity can result in a national lack of awareness.
Article by Anaya Balkcom
