Stereotyping in Contemporary Journalism
First off, ‘the sneaky Hispanic immigrant.’ For as long as the borders have been open in civilized America, a deep loathing has remained against those whom invade its land. This resentment is in direct opposition to what America stands for and how its dream has manifested itself-through hard work, defying all the odds, and downright heroism in the face of those whom stand in the way of righteousness. Today, Hispanic immigrants whom only wish to have a taste of this dream and, perhaps, savor its richness in the company of their families, must struggle against racists.
These racists feel as though they are the righteous; enforced by the news culture broadcasted and the stories they entail, what they do what they can to discourage those whom they believe are stealing America [and all that it stands for] from them. Who’s to stand in their way? This mentality is reinforced progressively more everyday by ‘journalists’ despite the facts that surround immigration regarding U.S. work force numbers, immigration policies, etc. Perhaps the emphasis of the stories could be transitional-although many immigrants do obtain residence in the U.S. illegally, there is, without a doubt, an objective angle to the stories of these peoples lives and a positive aspect to what they are doing in/for our country.
The same goes for the image of ‘the thieving African American.’ Is it a bigger problem that African Americans, just like any other races, have a few thieves, or that we, as a nation, reinforce the thievery? People steal out of desperation and desperate times hit us all, regardless of skin color. Can reporters seriously continue to publish articles that maintain this stereotype? For instance, during the coverage of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation certain pictures arose that depicted African Americans, whom were scavenging for sustenance, as looters. Whereas pictures that contained White people performing the same scavenging were dubbed ‘survivors.’
Obviously, this same blame-game can be played with any minority, as long as it makes those whom desire to be at the center of the status quo and conform as closely to the guidelines as possible feel good about themselves. It is a mindless reinforcement of everything America has defined as a guilty pleasure for bigots and racists and, as long as the viewers keep tuning in, it will never cease.
The only solution: new leadership and involvement amongst minorities in the newsroom. Regardless of affirmative action’s shortcomings in the past, now is the time to reinvent the image of the news. Dump conservative reporting that objectifies the stories’ subjects and, rather, rely on a wide variety of nationalistic ethnic stakeholders to contribute. Not only will this revolutionize the way Americans receive their news, it will revolutionize how they think and, therefore, progressively change the American paradigm.
