Yesterday while writing about Jena, and Paris, I noted the role of the black media (talk radio, journalists, black bloggers) in rendering rural racism transparent. (As an aside I’d like to check on whether there has been an attempt to differentiate between rural, suburban, and urban racism.) I argued that the white progressive blogosphere are disincentivized to ignore domestic racism, and when it cannot be ignored to use exceedingly high standards in evaluating claims brought by blacks.
In writing about this I made a mistake that is worth acknowledging (and covering in other blogs).
The writer who broke both the Paris and Jena stories, is named Howard Witt. He’s the (white) Southwest Bureau Chief of the Chicago Tribune. I mistakenly assumed that Witt was an African American. I’m betting that mistake gets made a lot given his writing.
There has been a significant decline in investigative journalism over the last twenty five years, as well as a decline in stories about racism (as opposed to race relations). I’m glad to see there are a few writers who are still fighting the good fight. And that some of them are white.
On that note, I missed Witt’s latest. This is the type of thing that transparency can aid us in uncovering but inevitably what is needed here is a different level of organizing than that used against old-fashioned rural racism.
I think that Howard Witt is now my favorite reporter!
Given the increasing phenomenon of more and more papers owned by fewer and fewer conglomerates, believe me there will be far fewer investigative stories to be seen in the near future. When you have Rupert Murdoch buying the WSJ, and openly admitting he prefers brainless infotainment stories to serious reporting, then that should inform all of us who give half a damn that you have to read about 6 papers a day just to get the half the story…
Dr. Spence, it’s been a while. I to believe that this is a good thing. Living in Chicago, I tend not to read the Chicago Suntimes nor the Chicago Tribune. Both papers have been biased on their reporting. Some many so-called black leader talk about boycotting the papers, but you constantly hear them referring to them. As a Chicagoan, it is good to see that someone, other than the Final Call reporters has an honest interest in justice.
I’ve been having an argument with a radio show host (Jerry Agar – WLS 890AM) on his less than informed opinion about the Jena 6 situation. He just stated today that he had no idea who hung the nooses, when it was clearly in the news that there were whites students involved.
Racism is just that, but I think far too many white Americans are totally oblivious to the hardships that black Americans face. Some are not racist in their dealings – just ignorant.