I have incredibly strong beliefs on the race issue in America. As I am writing this now, there are still protests in Ferguson over race related issues. Surely we are not living in 1960’s America at the height of the civil rights movement, but there is still an unfixed and widespread in America today. Even as an African-American holds the Presidency, racism, unequal opportunity, and stereotypes continue to exist about minorities. As a nation, we are constantly trying to head in the right direction, but it will take a lot more time and effort to really change the problem.
After reading this article, I also formed strong opinions on what seems to be an epidemic in media. There is an obvious lack of minorities in the field, plain and simple. Now the question is why. Are minorities getting cut out from positions that are rightly theirs? Or does the issue stem from a larger problem? One reason that is plausible is some minorities never really grew up with the news. There is not an over-abundance of the New York Times or the Nightly News being read or watched in ghettos. Not to say that all minorities live in ghettos, but there is some truth in the matter that some news only reaches an elitist population. However, with the rise of Internet blogs and various different forums to offer opinions, maybe minorities will be more inclined to pursue a media-based position.
Another option could be the education given to minorities. One of the larger problems in America today is that minorities seem to flock to the ghetto, without much choice, and the public schools in the communities are under-funded. As a result, minority children are put at a disadvantage from the start. This leads to an underwhelming education for most, besides the true standouts. Therefore, some have challenges getting into the elite colleges in America due to a lack of education and money. Media institutions still hold a particular standard for getting a job, and will take the best and brightest that come there way. In today’s society with all the debate over Affirmative Action, many believe that it is morally just to take the best and brightest, and if they are all white, then so be it. Of course this is not the case. Watching the news, there is at least one minority who delivers a story or is a news anchor, often more. Most likely, these people are the best and brightest. However, in addition to being smart, the parent company may have a minority quota for public relations reasons and to reach a wider audience. On the radio, magazines, or newspapers, the company may feel less of an “obligation,” if you would call having a minority an obligation, because no one sees there face.
With an ever-changing media environment, it is now the time for minorities to start asserting themselves in the field. Nowadays, a person can buy a domain for fifty dollars and start their own website. The age of the newspaper and slowly the news on television is dying. What we think of as old white men on TV talking about politics has changed to a new generation of young, radical, and thoughtful people speaking their mind on a forum where an ivy league degree is no required. Now, the opportunity for change needs to be seized.
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After reading this article, I also formed strong opinions on what seems to be an epidemic in media. There is an obvious lack of minorities in the field, plain and simple. Now the question is why. Are minorities getting cut out from positions that are rightly theirs? Or does the issue stem from a larger problem? One reason that is plausible is some minorities never really grew up with the news. There is not an over-abundance of the New York Times or the Nightly News being read or watched in ghettos. Not to say that all minorities live in ghettos, but there is some truth in the matter that some news only reaches an elitist population. However, with the rise of Internet blogs and various different forums to offer opinions, maybe minorities will be more inclined to pursue a media-based position.
Another option could be the education given to minorities. One of the larger problems in America today is that minorities seem to flock to the ghetto, without much choice, and the public schools in the communities are under-funded. As a result, minority children are put at a disadvantage from the start. This leads to an underwhelming education for most, besides the true standouts. Therefore, some have challenges getting into the elite colleges in America due to a lack of education and money. Media institutions still hold a particular standard for getting a job, and will take the best and brightest that come there way. In today’s society with all the debate over Affirmative Action, many believe that it is morally just to take the best and brightest, and if they are all white, then so be it. Of course this is not the case. Watching the news, there is at least one minority who delivers a story or is a news anchor, often more. Most likely, these people are the best and brightest. However, in addition to being smart, the parent company may have a minority quota for public relations reasons and to reach a wider audience. On the radio, magazines, or newspapers, the company may feel less of an “obligation,” if you would call having a minority an obligation, because no one sees there face.
With an ever-changing media environment, it is now the time for minorities to start asserting themselves in the field. Nowadays, a person can buy a domain for fifty dollars and start their own website. The age of the newspaper and slowly the news on television is dying. What we think of as old white men on TV talking about politics has changed to a new generation of young, radical, and thoughtful people speaking their mind on a forum where an ivy league degree is no required. Now, the opportunity for change needs to be seized.
.