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Media need to remember positives
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Also by Michael E. Mylrea:
- Media need to remember positives (September 26, 2002)
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First I’m going to tell the bad news, and then I’m going to tell you the bad news.
How many people knew Sept. 16 to Oct. 14 is the official Hispanic Heritage Month?
I asked this question to University of Wisconsin-Madison students of various ethnicities, including Hispanic, and quickly found out that many people had no idea it was Hispanic Heritage Month. Each respondent said they consumed various types of news media, but nobody I asked read anything regarding Hispanic Heritage Month.
The news media today have become so obsessed with America’ s ill treatment of ethnic minorities that any news we read about them is most likely going to be negative. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the great accomplishments Hispanic people have achieved in America.
But you’re not going to read about accomplishments when there are failures to report. You’re not going to read about the dreams Hispanic people realized though hard work and dedication to betterment. And you’re certainly not going to read about how Hispanic people accomplished these things in and for America.
Hawkish left-wing radicals have demonized America to the point that many have become pessimistic and doubtful this country is capable of any good. At their prodding, Hispanic Heritage Month is not considered newsworthy because it illustrates how a diverse ethnic minority has prospered in America.
America has not been an angelic host to all immigrants. And I do believe it’s imperative to expose our nation’s many injustices and wrongdoings. Journalism should be society’s watchdog when justice fails. However, there should be some kind of balance between reporting the good amongst the bad in America.
The effect of any group reading about its plight in society is likely to cause a subsequent hatred of the society that has wronged it. There are too many media operations that continue to fuel great opposition between America and numerous ethnic groups by reporting on their plight in this country, not how they prosper.
Today you are more likely to read about racial, ethnic, religious and gender conflict then about celebration. If hatred incites hatred, many media establishments have inoculated us all with a reason to hate.
When is the last time you read about a Palestinian man drinking tea with his Israeli friend in Haifa, or black, white, Hispanic, Asian and Indian children playing together at the park, or a food-drive sponsored by a Christian organization? In my humble opinion, these are the things — like Hispanic Heritage Month — that many people would like to read about, but rarely are reported.
We see so many newspapers doing such a great job of finding everything wrong with America’s treatment of ethnic minorities, leaving little space to credit their cultural achievements or honor their heritage. What kind of hope do disparaging statistics, segregation and hatred give to a struggle?
It seems the news today has lost any semblance of hope. The news is rarely a source of hope and inspiration but is more likely to record atrocities and disparaging statistics than achievements and positive outlooks.
News media need to continue to be watchdogs. Disparities and injustices need to be reported; however, somewhere along the way, there must be a balance of reporting the good among the bad. If not, the news will continue to give us more of an incentive to hate than to celebrate.
— Mike Mylrea (memylrea@hotmail.com) is a senior majoring in journalism.
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