Jill Nelson Tells The Mainstream Media About Themselves And Their Weak Ass Coverage Of President Barack Obama
Here's the article. Tell me what you think. I thought she hit the nail on the head and broke it off. What I love about Jill Nelson's writing is that it leaps right of the page and smacks you in the face, leaving a really nice imprint!
12 comments:
That was a good article. It repeats some of the same themes Nelson explored in her book "Volunteer Slavery".
Very good article!
thanks for sharing
Good post, LMAO @ "Ba Hummbug".
Yes, yes, yes! Nelson really does say it plain in this piece. What an excellent essay. I know that a few others have criticized the overabundance of white people in the media, but I appreciate the way Nelson spells it out as not only a component of Obama's call for change, but a necessary and vital part of any well-informed and thorough news source. What's wrong with these people!?! These news outlets simply aren't doing their job if they don't have prominent black analysts on staff to help frame this pivotal moment in our politics.
Nelson's point is undeniable, but I also wonder to what extent she is taking into account non-traditional news sources? Blogs (like this one, JJP, or Ta-Nehisi Coates), Morning Radio (Joyner, Baisden) or NPR (Michelle Martin or, ugh, Tavis), or op-ed columnists (Eugene Robinson, Patricia Williams, or Nelson, herself). So since the main source of my daily news is no longer CNN or MSNBC, I'm guessing the same is true for others.
I do hope, though, that those in power in cable news and print journalism will please pay attention to Nelson's important critique and consider the costs of white privilege in their coverage.
lol-get'em
Ishmael Reed once wrote that "NPR is about as integrated as a Georgia country club". It looks like some things haven't changed.
It is a well written article.
What bothers me more than the obvious lack of any journalist of color filling the anchor chair on the major news networks is the fact that WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR DEVELOPED OUTLETS that provide coverage from our perspective.
There have been moments during the coverage that I have applauded the response of black journalist. I can never remember the man's name but he sits on the editoral board of WaPo. He got angry about the heavy influx of racism coming from out the McPhalin camp. When he was asked his opinion he let them have it. I was shocked since he comes across as a rather moderate individual. But on this particular day he let loose on MSNBC! He had his say and it was so on point.
I believe that we are going to have to seriously consider using this time to re-think our thinking on what we need to do in this area. We need to have a media outlet for our journalist and others of color.
Great article. Like I mentioned a bit ago, I want to see who MSNBC gets to fill this 10pm slot since they want another show.
I think I'll call and remind them it doesnt have to be a white person.
This article fails miserably because it fails to mention the lack of IDEOLOGICAL diversity within the ranks of the highly biased Black press.
Instead of attempting to get Black faces into the White House press corps (Ebony and Essence now have full timers to cover the White House and it WON'T BE for hard hitting news stories about the Obamas) the Black Journalist Association needs to focus on putting a fleet of journalists who have our best interests in mind assigned to cover the various city halls in cities with a sizable Black population but which are allowing our people to be terrorized by crime, victimized by failing schools and left unemployed by 40 years of policies that have shifted the employment centers outside of their borders.
I still can't see a substantive difference between the content of reports from a Black Progressive Reporter and that which a White Progressive reporter might submit for publication. Ms Nelson fits right in with her other White progressive cohorts on The Huffington Post quite well.
@Constructive Feedback -
What "heavily biased" black press are you talking about? There are plenty of black journalists that are highly critical of Barack Obama, unlike all the white journalists that sat around and never challenged anything about President Bush.
Ebony and Essence are not hard news publications in the first place, so that is pointless to say and white folks won't be reading those publications either, so what difference does it really make.
You missed the entire point of Nelson's argument. You have white journalists critiquing and covering the first black President through the only limited view they possess, diversity in the press corps, will bring a diversity of views.
And if there is no difference between journalists, then white folks can cover the inner cities and we will sent the black journalists to cover the white house for the next 4 years.
[quote]You have white journalists critiquing and covering the first black President through the only limited view they possess, diversity in the press corps, will bring a diversity of views.[/quote]
Excuse me - Black Journalists typically criticize the Democratic Party and if they ever get around to doing so with Obama - for GOING "TOO FAR RIGHT".
With few exceptions - the Black Press is not enforcing the actual ACCOMPLISHMENT of a particular set of deliverables, instead it is enforcing ALIGNMENT WITH THE Progressive Line.
A Black Progressive elected official who presides over failing schools and reduced work forces will not be attacked on the results. He will only be attacked if he strays from the Progressive Line. (Please see FORMER US Rep Albert Wynne of Maryland. He was painted as "Bush's best friend" by his ultra leftist replacement - US Rep Donna Edwards (D-MD)
In Atlanta when the local news paper DID start applying scrutiny to the recently released convicted felon - Bill Campbell - "The Concerned Black Clergy" formed a protest in front of the Atlanta Journal Constitution building charging that their coverage of Black elected officials is RACIST.
Are you sure you want to make the switch and send White reporters into the Black community?
@CF -
None of what you are talking about has anything to do with the questions Jill Nelson raised. You are welcome to your opinion, but that does not make it fact.
The Washington Times is full of black reporters critical of Obama. Earl Ofari Hutchsion is on the Huffington Post right now with another in series of negative posts about Barack Obama. Juan Williams will be on TV tonight spewing negativity about President Obama, so please spare me the evil liberal media discussion.
TONIGHT - there will not be one mainstream news channel with an African American journalist, that is a problem and a significant lack of progress. You can argue all day about things around this issue, but it does not change that fact.
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