I have no trust of USA Today and most periodicals.

The US Today branded poor minorities struggling to survive Katrina (2005) as hoodlums and looters. They hit a new low during last season's pro football season. The media made it a point to identify these players in print and photo. Whether intentionally or not, they made a larger point by publishing mugshots of these players, instead of just photos.

There was an article about forty-one NFL players arrested between late 2005 and early 2007; a period of around eighteen months. Their mugshots got plastered all over the front page. Of course, thirty-nine of the players were black. Up and down, a reader saw black faces looking back at them. I imagined all the scared people clutching their purses a little harder that day?

Unfortunately, USA Today has printed "subjective journalism" more than once. The periodical remains the flagbearer (mainly because of U.S.A.)of printed media in the country. However, they polarized the population with their slanted views and more obscure excuses.
I have a message for our white-controlled media outlets.

Most of the crimes committed in this country are by white people. They are the most numerous, next to Latinos, and then African-Americans. While news-fakers like, USA Today slander black people in print. Televisions shows as "COPS" make casual viewers believe blacks and poor whites committ all the crimes. Crimes happened in Beverly Hills ? The Melendez brothers back in the 1986 killed their parents there. Crimes aren't only committed in ghettos, skidrows and trailer parks. As of 2007, COPS failed to do any shows in these upper-class communities.

The USA Today is known for igniting stories that polarize a population. With the Katrina stories, black and the NFL's misconduct issues, black people headlined their covers.

The actions themselves played the race card. Calling New Orleans' residents "hoodlums" or "heroes" took attention away from a DISASTER and OUR GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO HELP ITS CITIZENS. Black people committed "crimes". White people "did what they had to do". Did the racial stereotyping help the situation? Residents of all colors waited for a week for emergency assistance. USA Today and other newspapers photographed residents trapped for days on rooftops and attics. They also photographed helicopters making sweeps to rescue those in immediate danger.

But, there was no President Bush or Vice President, Dick Cheney in the disaster area. When 9/11 occurred, we couldn't help but see both of America's leaders at Ground Zero and New York City. Newspapers failed to recognize the obvious favoritism exhibited to Wall Street victims compared to black and white southerners.

Freedom of the press was meant for the press to be free to "tell the truth". Instead, our press told us the truth how they saw it.

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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