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During New Orlean's Katrina disaster, USA Today newspaper and Fox News Channel committed grave sins. Instead of reporting the tragedy's effect on the whole community, they stereotyped white and black and Latino victims. In one incident, a grocery store was being looted. White people were viewed upon as "doing what was necessary to survive". Black and Latinos were identified as "looting the property" or referred to as "hoodlums, looters or criminal elements".

As Paris Hilton began serving her DUI (Driving Under the Influence) convictions, media focused on her irresponsibility and "party girl attitude". Nicole Ritchie suffered a similar fate with her DUIs. Both women were described as "irresponsible and party girls". I say this because, law enforcement and legislature has branded driving under influence as a criminal offense. Getting in a vehicle while drunk has often led to deadly consequences. There are thousands of Americans each year dead because of someone's lack of "irresponsibility" from driving drunk. Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan were only lucky that their actions didn't injure or kill anyone. Think about it. Miss Hilton was paid over a million dollar to talk about her twenty-three day, jail sentence.

On the flipside, pro football players, Koren Robinson, Tank Johnson and Chris Henry, were all arrested for DUI last year. The media reported that these men committed "dangerous felonies". In addition, the men were identified as "repeat offenders". Also, all three arrests were captured on police videotape. It was strange, but Paris Hilton committed a dangerous felony. She was a repeat offender. How come America didn't see her getting handcuffed? Was the handcuffing scene part of her sex tape?

These were just a few of many examples of the media's manipulating our news. Not only have they used scare tactics to portray negative news, they polarized and stereotyped racial and ethnic groups based on their negative reporting. Whites and minorities have done the same acts, but the articles have come out completely different. Minorities, especially blacks, have received the negative jabs time and time again. During the Iraq war, newspapers have continued using the fear of homeland terror to garner support for American troops abroad. However, they have played both sides by waging on President Bush's lack of integrity and the Republican's lack of honesty in their attempt to implement change in the 2008 elections.

Barry Bonds, Michael Vick and Allen Iverson have all received their fair share of media "tarring and feathering", even though all three could be the best pure athletes in their respective sports. Some newspaper outlets have penned these mens as "felons" and "criminals". Only Michael Vick has pled guilty to a felony.

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press has allowed the media to dictate and rule. Peoples' reputations and livelihoods have been stripped by negative portrayals in the media. The media has picked and chosen who they liked or disliked for decades. The media has picked what to report on and what not to report on for decades. The media has picked its topics based on race, social status and celebrity as has continued to do so. Were these the goals of our forefathers who drafted freedom of speech in 1776?

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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