Black Media and Websites Jumped All Over a Nightclub Murder
Why does it seem... many African American media outlets and websites have sensationalized the murder of the ex-fiancé of a reality show star? It appears that the senseless murder of Chicago teenager Derrion Albert has been knocked out of our collective consciousness. Perhaps it's not as "sexy". At his point it's "let's keep it moving" and it's on to the next story in the news cycle. Even after the funeral, Derrion Albert's murder, as a result of teen violence and Black on Black crime, isn't an issue that should just go away.Perhaps there isn't a balanced representation of local Afican American media outlets with the proliferation of syndicated radio programs. With no daily news programs on TV One or BET; we rely on mainstream media to provide news. Therefore radio and the web plays a much more important role in bringing African American news and issues to the forefront. However thought provoking conversations about issues causes ratings to drop. Perhaps who's on the DL, prison sex, who's the baby's daddy or pimps in the pulpit are more inviting.
Derrion Albert's murder should be the wake up call for the African American community, possibly the Emmet Till of this generation. However the thirst for the fleeting status of fame and celebrity seems to make one murder more important than the other. If there was no cell phone video of Albert's beating, would anyone even know about Derrion Albert's murder? Many people say Black life has no value... but Black life through the media does?
Emmitt Till
one murder is not a wake up call, balancing jive talk passing itself off as black talk is just that jive talk, if u had BS in front of u would u want a balance to it or would u get rid of the bs? wether it's coined urban or black talk todays format is about feeding sensation not about offering solutions, like the 2 high profile murders that took place in chicago,atlanta. We must also take serious look and critique at our black/urban owned media outlets aswell.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree because this was a young man of promise, who was going to go to college, yet to be gunned down and for what?
ReplyDeleteNo one did not speak out about this murder, even Michael Steele of the GOP instead of castigating Obama.
It makes you wonder how Black media and even Black America in general condone people and their actions like Kanye West, but they do not care one bit about reporting about people of promise who want a future and when they are gunned down, they report murders like Kandi's ex, which is not really important.
I know what you mean, but the idea of a well-known black person from hit show is sexier than an average person regardless of promise to the media. Most black-owned urban outlets have stayed on topic of this issue, but other corporate or Radio One-owned outlets have forgotten about this.
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