Tell Cable News Directors: Drop the T Word from Their Reporting
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Tell Cable News Directors: Drop the T Word from Their Reporting
Moments before murdering Jordan Davis, his killer complained about the “thug music” coming from Jordan’s car. His actions were a part of a vicious cycle whereby stereotypical media images shape perceptions of viewers that, when acted on, have dangerous consequences, including harsher sentencing in courtrooms, substandard treatment in doctors’ offices, and in the case of Jordan Davis, racist, vigilante violence.
Today’s major news networks are rife with lopsided coverage of Black youths, commentators who distort or deny the reality of racism in America, and the rampant use of coded terms like “thug”—whether reporting during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or covering the recent protests in Baltimore. When the media and public figures use "thug" they reinforce the same bias that led to Jordan's murder.
It's time to retire the word. Demand News directors across the country stop criminalizing Black youth by dropping "thug" from their reporting.
Tell Cable and Network News Directors:
Ban the word "thug" from your broadcasts.
The research is in regarding the impact of stereotypical, lopsided media images of Black people on the perceptions and implicit biases of audiences. Yet, too often, your network is a haven for hosts and commentators who use coded terms like “thug” to demonize Black youths.
As a renowned and respected news source, you have a responsibility to forge content that presents fair, humanizing images of Black people. So long as you continue to provide a platform for misinformation and hate, you are fueling a hostile, racist climate that threatens the lives of Black communities nationwide.
That’s why I urge you to commit to stop criminalizing Black youth by dropping "thug" from their reporting.
Sincerely,