Maynard Institute archives

Mizzou J-School a Part of Protest Story

by richard0478

Columnists Call Football Team’s Threatened Strike Historic

Troopers Misreport Race of Drivers They Stop, Station Finds

Do Reporters Really Wear an “Unthought-About Uniform”?

Editor Sees Abandoned Childhood Home as Writer’s Digs

Candidates Counter Challenges by Yelling Lies Louder

After Trump on “SNL,” Latino Leader Wonders About Allies

N.Y. Times Explores Chances of Changing Mississippi Flag

In Europe, Short-Lived Sympathy for Migrants, Refugees

Ethiopians, Too, Want to Tell Their Own Stories

Short Takes

Columnists Call Football Team’s Threatened Strike Historic

“I have lived in Columbia and been at the university for almost 18 years,” Cynthia Frisby, an associate professor in the Missouri School of Journalism, wrote in a Facebook posting reprinted Sunday in Missourian, which serves the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“During this time, I have been called the n-word too many times to count.

“My most recent experience was while jogging on Route K in May of 2015 when I was approached by a white man in a white truck with a Confederate flag very visible and proudly displayed.

“He leaned out his window (now, keep in mind I run against traffic, so his behavior was a blatant sign that something was about to happen). Not only did he spit at me, he called me the n-word and gave me the finger.

“Of course, I responded with, ‘Oh yea, get out of your car, you coward, and say that to my face.’ He then raced off. Typical. After the [George] Zimmerman trial, I wrote about my experiences being called the n-word twice while I was on my jog. And yes, I have had a few faculty call me the n-word and treat me with incredible disrespect. Yes, faculty. . . .”

Students and faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism were part of the campus uprising that led Monday to the resignation of the president of the University of Missouri system and the chancellor of the Columbia campus.

When black graduate student Jonathan L. Butler, 25, undertook a hunger strike, among his reasons was “an instance when black journalism students were called the n-word and threatened with comments about the Ku Klux Klan, Michael E. Miller reported Friday in the Washington Post.

“The students at the J-school are feeling some of the hostility,” the Rev. Carl Kenney, an African American adjunct journalism faculty member and a columnist for the Missourian, told Journal-isms by telephone Monday. “A number were in the middle of the protest movement.”

Not only faculty and students were involved. David D. Kurpius, dean of the journalism school, was among nine deans who called for the resignation of Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin in a letter sent Monday to President Timothy M. Wolfe and the Board of Curators, according to Micheala Sosby, reporting for KOMU-TV, the university-owned commercial television station.

As a group, the journalism students were discussing the protests in classes and reporting on them for the school’s daily newspaper, its magazine and its radio and television stations, Kenney said.

On Monday, the Missourian ran a story by Maria Davison and Sophia Zheng headlined, “MU students tell their stories of everyday racism.”

“Throughout the Missourian’s coverage of race, we’ve heard from readers who say they can’t relate to stories of racism,” they wrote. “Many have said they don’t see racism in their worlds, and they just don’t think it’s still a problem. 

“We set out to ask people — on campus and around Columbia — what everyday racism looks like to them. . . .”

In a disturbing irony, “A video that showed University of Missouri protesters restricting a student photographer’s access to a public area of campus on Monday ignited discussions about press freedom,” Austin Huguelet and Daniel Victor reported for the New York Times.

“Tim Tai, a student photographer on freelance assignment for ESPN, was trying to take photos of a small tent city that protesters had created on a campus quad. Concerned Student 1950, an activist group that formed to push for increased awareness and action around racial issues on campus, did not want reporters near the encampment. . . .” [video]

One of those demanding “muscle” to stop reporters from covering the demonstrations on the campus quad was Melissa Click, an assistant professor of mass media, tweeted CNN reporter Dylan Byers.

[Dean David Kurpius said in a statement Tuesday, “for clarification, Assistant Professor Melissa Click, featured in several videos confronting journalists, is not a faculty member in the Missouri School of Journalism.

“She is a member of the MU Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Science. In that capacity she holds a courtesy appointment with the School of Journalism. Journalism School faculty members are taking immediate action to review that appointment. . . .”]

Outside the campus, the resignations of Wolfe and Loftin and the triumph of the protesters led national newscasts Monday.

Even before Wolfe’s resignation, columnists pronounced historic the declaration by dozens of black Mizzou football players that they would boycott all football-related activities until Wolfe stepped down.

“The reports of racial episodes [on campus] are disturbing,” William C. Rhoden wrote Sunday in the New York Times. “But the players’ protest is exhilarating because it is the most high-profile example to date in a continuing revolution in which the athletes who drive the multibillion-dollar college sports machine have begun to use their visibility to demand change.

“What makes the Missouri team’s protest stand out even more is that it is not about the business of sports: compensation, image rights, labor issues or N.C.A.A. rules. It was initiated by black players showing solidarity with fellow black students who felt their concerns had not been adequately addressed by university administrators. It was athletes lending their standing to a fight that, on its face, did not involve them. . . .”

Rhoden also wrote, “At the top of the college sports ladder, black athletes, especially those who work in the football and basketball factories, are often seduced and coddled but also isolated — intellectually if not physically — from ‘ordinary’ black students who lack visibility and voice.

“The Missouri players have declared, ‘We are one,’ and it is hard to overstate the significance of that. . . .”

At Yahoo Sports on Monday, Dan Wetzel quoted Sonny Vaccaro, a retired Nike and Adidas executive and longtime proponent of student-athlete rights. “This is what I’ve believed could happen for 30 years and what I think is the deepest fear for the NCAA  — athletes control what happens on campus. This is an unbelievable step forward for athletes.”

James Ragland agreed in the Dallas Morning News. “Yes, give the football players credit for risking their scholarships and standing at the university,” he wrote Monday. “They showed they have their priorities straight.

“But let’s give credit also to all the students and faculty members — black and white  — that refused to sit idly by in the face of outrageous and offensive gestures aimed at mocking and dehumanizing them.

“They took the University of Missouri to school on this one.” [Updated Nov. 10.]

Troopers Misreport Race of Drivers They Stop, Station Finds

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers “are inaccurately recording the race of large numbers of minority drivers, mostly Hispanic, as white, according to a KXAN investigation,” Brian Collister and Joe Ellis reported Saturday for KXAN-TV in Austin.

“The agency’s traffic stop data reveals racial profiling reports are likely flawed, according to experts.

“Sergio Raul Mejia got a traffic citation for having his license plate on the dash of his truck in Georgetown last May. The Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who pulled Mejia over put his race as white on the ticket.

” ‘That’s bad,’ said Mejia. ‘I’m Hispanic. He was not supposed to put white people,’ Mejia continued, speaking in broken English. ‘You don’t think you look white?’ asked KXAN Investigator Brian Collister. ‘No, Hispanic,’ replied Mejia.

“A Texas law aimed at preventing racial profiling requires peace officers determine and document the race of every driver to whom they issue a written warning, traffic citation or arrest during a traffic stop. The statute says officers must report: ‘the person’s race or ethnicity, as stated by the person or, if the person does not state the person’s race or ethnicity, as determined by the officer to the best of the officer’s ability.’  White and Hispanic are just two categories listed in the law, which treats race and ethnicity the same for purposes of gathering the statistics. . . .”

Collister and Ellis also reported, “Although not everyone with a Hispanic last name is of Hispanic descent, KXAN discovered the DPS data shows more than 1.9 million drivers with traditionally Hispanic names listed as white over the past five years. For the same time period, approximately 1.6 million were reported as Hispanic. . . .”

Do Reporters Really Wear an “Unthought-About Uniform”?

Writing in the New York Times Friday about “Spotlight,” a new film about the Boston Globe’s reporting on the sexual abuse of children in the Roman Catholic Church, Ravi Somaiya marveled about “its costumes, based on the clothing of the real journalists involved . . . [which] have uncannily captured a particular style (or lack of style), that still distinguishes reporters and editors today.”

Somaiya asked Wendy Chuck, the film’s costume designer, “How would you describe the style of journalists?”

Chuck replied, “It’s an unthought-about uniform. It mirrors school uniforms really. It’s something you don’t think about when you dress. You don’t really care; you’ve got other things to think about that are not clothes.

“It says you’re comfortable, but nobody is going to comment on how you look or how you appear. You’re not going to offend anybody. Nobody is going to be able to read much into you.”

Really? Journal-isms asked Robin Givhan, fashion writer for the Washington Post and winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for criticism, whether that description fits journalists of color.

“I don’t think that description fits the vast majority of journalists I know — whether they cover fashion, politics or Wall Street and whether they are black, white, Latino or Asian,” Givhan replied by email. “I don’t think journalists fret about being fashion plates or being trendy, but journalists want to look professional and they want to be respectful of the industry or the events they cover. They want to be comfortable and feel nimble.

“There’s certainly a stereotype of the sloppy journalist, but I can count on one hand the number of journalists I’ve met who fit that description and they tend to be eccentrics in other ways.

“In particular, I don’t think journalists of color take their appearance lightly because they are smart and perceptive and understand that people make snap judgments.

“I would also add, that for men in general, the shift in how their clothes fit has changed substantially for the better since the time frame of ‘Spotlight.’ And their reliance on Dockers has decreased dramatically.”

Teri Agins, who writes the “Ask Teri” fashion advice column at the Wall Street Journal,  where she developed the fashion beat, had a slightly different take. She messaged, “I agree that journalists are pretty laid back in the newsroom — that rumpled look certainly fits into the ethos.”

But she also said, “Black people have always been into clothes and fashion and so that follows us in most every profession… nowadays the streetwear style is a much more contrived and studied way of casual dress… it does not look messy.. but it is decidedly casual too… think of all the sneakers etc…. that movie is truly a period piece and the clip reflected that….”

The Globe’s coverage of sexual abuse by priests won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2003.

Editor Sees Abandoned Childhood Home as Writer’s Digs

Stephen Henderson, editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, Monday was awarded $150,000 by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to turn his abandoned childhood home “into a space that promotes the literary arts via a resident fellow at nearby Marygrove College,” which shares the grant, Mark Stryker reported for the Free Press.

In all, the Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge awarded $2.5 million to 57 Detroit winners.

“When I was born in 1970, the neighborhood’s strength was girded by the steady jobs at nearby auto plants and suppliers, by the pride that people had in their homes and their lives, and by the opportunity that existed for people like me to climb from working-class roots to higher stations on the economic ladder,” Henderson wrote in the Free Press on Sunday.

“But standing in the house three decades later, amid the physical devastation in the various rooms and in the wider neighborhood, I was struck by wonder about the possibilities for kids born here more recently. What chances do they have? What does opportunity look like?

“There are still children, lots of them, in the neighborhood — I see them on bikes, and playing basketball on the hoops they set up in the street because there are no nearby parks.

“But growing up there is no picnic today. Last year, in a house across the street from 7124, a 4-year-old got hold of a parent’s gun and accidentally shot his 4-year-old cousin. Periodically, I’ll see houses in the neighborhood adorned with the stuffed animals and graffiti-ed messages that let you know a child died there — in a shooting, in a fire, or some other tragic end.

“That was the beginning of my turn toward the idea that I couldn’t just walk away from 7124 Tuxedo. . . .”

Candidates Counter Challenges by Yelling Lies Louder

” ‘I only tell true stories,’ Carly Fiorina assured employees during one of her first speeches as the chief executive of Hewlett-Packard in 2000,” Michael Barbaro reported Saturday for the New York Times.

“But the stirring story that Mrs. Fiorina, now a Republican candidate for president, told that day about the creation of HP and its first product, had a glaring problem: It was almost entirely inaccurate, according to an internal transcript, an oral history of HP, a book and a company historian.

“In the end, it may not matter. . . .”

Barbaro also wrote, “The presidential campaign is still in its early and unsettled stages, and many subplots are still to unfold. But so far, the old and powerful structure of the venerable news media as a gatekeeper, seizing on the candidates for any untruth and deeply wounding them in the process, seems to be crumbling, replaced by a more chaotic environment.

“Deep disregard for the news media has allowed candidates to duck, dodge and ridicule assertions from outlets they dislike and seek the embrace of those that are inclined to protect them.

“Today, it seems, truth is in the eyes of the beholder — and any assertion can be elevated and amplified if yelled loudly enough. . . .”

After Trump on “SNL,” Latino Leader Wonders About Allies

“Well, to no one’s surprise, Donald Trump hosted Saturday Night Live last night to, no doubt, record ratings, as over 200 Latinos were protesting outside,” Angelo Falcón, president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, wrote Monday for beyondchron.org.

“Did Trump’s appearance on the show help [his] campaign for President or did it just add to his overexposure as his support starts to slide? Did the Latino protesters hurt or help him? Did NBCUniversal make a killing by its on and off again criticism of Trump? Were the Latino groups, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, unfairly violating Trump’s and NBC’s freedom of speech, or raising legitimate concerns? Well, we may have to wait until November to find out.

“But last night’s show was interesting for revealing how, what otherwise we thought were liberal Whites and Blacks on SNL basking in Trump’s celebrity aura while in effect condoning his racist views on Mexicans, Mexico, and immigrants (among other groups). To most Latinos, this put the SNL cast and producers in a new light and raised serious questions about NBCUniversal’s (and its parent company, Comcast’s) relationship to the Latino community. . . .”

Other critics said they thought that cast members were distancing themselves from Trump during the show as much as possible.

Writing Saturday in the Miami Herald, Andrés Oppenheimer disagreed with the Latino groups’ strategy. He told readers, “I never thought I would ever write a column defending a xenophobic, racist, arrogant, dishonest, clownish and ignorant candidate like Donald Trump. But I’ll do it today, in reference to his latest spat with Latino groups over his hosting NBC’s Saturday Night Live. . . .

“Instead of calling on Saturday Night Live to dump Trump, Latino groups should have launched a name-and-shame campaign against Trump, the show and its advertisers — everything but asking NBC to cancel Trump’s appearance. Trump’s thinly-veiled racism isn’t funny, but censoring a comedy show isn’t either.”

Falcón obliged with a list of the companies that ran commercials during the show: “Microsoft (3 spots) ; Absolut Vodka (2 spots); Activision – Play Station’s Call of Duty; [DirectTV] (2 spots); GE (2 spots); Macy’s (2 spots); Nissan (2 spots); Old Navy (2 spots); Unilever – Axe (2 spots); American Express; Audi Q5; Bertolli Olive Oil; Bethesda Game Studios – Fallout; Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa TheBorgata.com; Chase – Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show;

“HBO – Getting On; Brown-Forman Corporation’s Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack; Netflix – Master of None (damn, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, I thought you would be with us!); New York Lotto (Governor Cuomo, wuz up with dat?); Polydor Records – Delirium Music Album by Ellie Goulding; [Raymour] & Flanigan; Shell; SNY; Spike TV; StubHub; TBS – Full Frontal; Verizon – Droid; and Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC. The ad also appeared for the following movies, NBC shows and plays:

“MOVIES – 13 Hours; Beasts of the Nation; Brooklyn Fox; Creed; Hunger Games [Lionsgate]; Love the Coopers; Room; Secret in Their Eyes; Sisters; Spectre; The Night Before; and Trainwreck. NBC shows – Blindspot; Chicago Med; Jimmy Fallon; Seth Meyers, Late Night with; Shades of Blue; Superstore; Telenovela (Eva Longoria’s new [show]); and The Voice. And PLAYS – A View from the Bridge; An American in Paris; China Doll; School of Rock; Silvia; and The Book of Mormon (2 spots).”

According to overnight ratings, the show was “SNL’s” most-watched since a January 2012 show hosted by Charles Barkley with musical guest Kelly Clarkson, Chris Ariens reported for TVNewser.

In Europe, Short-Lived Sympathy for Migrants, Refugees

“Western European newspapers became significantly more sympathetic towards migrants and refugees immediately after photographs of a drowned boy on a Turkish beach were published at the beginning of September, but within one week most had reverted to their original editorial position,” the European Journalism Observatory reported on Monday.

“By the end of the month all were less positive than at the beginning.

“Most newspapers in Eastern Europe and Baltic States did not publish the photographs and barely covered the story, according to a study of recent media coverage of the migration crisis.

“The first detailed analysis of how newspapers in eight European countries reported the movement of nearly 750,000 people across the Mediterranean to Europe this year, revealed distinct national trends, but also political bias in some newspapers that transcended national boundaries.

“It found that newspapers in Western Europe were generally more compassionate towards the plight of migrants and refugees, compared to Eastern European and Baltic countries which remained generally ‘negative, unemotional and anti-EU,’ . . .”

Ethiopians, Too, Want to Tell Their Own Stories

“This time a week ago I was recovering from nearly 20 hours of exhausting travel but still experiencing a mental, emotional and intellectual high after spending two weeks teaching journalism in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” Robert Naylor Jr., a coach, consultant and former director of career development for the Associated Press’ News Division, wrote Monday on his blog.

“My colleagues were some of the most exceptional storytellers — writers, photojournalists, and documentary film makers — with whom I have ever worked (and I have worked alongside some of the best). I felt blessed to share things I have learned in more than 35 years as a journalist. . . .”

Naylor also wrote that “my Ethiopian students want to contribute to the global narrative about a country no one knows quite the way they do: the national pride; the rich history; the remarkable art and music; the diverse culture; the rapidly growing economy; the fact that theirs is the only African nation never colonized; and the peaceful coexistence of Christians, Muslims and Jews for more than 1,000 years. They know first-hand of its deficiencies: inadequate infrastructure, unsafe roads, soot-belching cars and buses, inferior emergency medical care and too few opportunities for women.

“But they also know that the Ethiopia depicted in global media — plagued by famine and conflict — is not theirs. While I was there, a story in American media said Ethiopia is suffering a severe drought. That is true for a portion of the county, but no truer than saying the United States was suffering a severe drought based on conditions in California. Western media often exaggerate negative depictions and ignore everything else.

“Why should we Americans (especially African Americans) care about helping Ethiopians and other Africans change the narrative of their county and their continent? Because in working with them, we learn things we might never have imagined and our lives can be transformed in ways we never imagined. Plus we can then share richer, deeper, more accurate stories about our own country, its people, and its place in the world.”

Short Takes

 

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