Katrina a media failure says speaker
Sarah Warnock, Contributing Writer
Issue date: 11/3/05 Section: News
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Stereotypes are well grounded in America, Diuguid said, and because of the media people are more prone to believe that African-Americans are going to do something to disrupt society.
The media made it seem as though the African-Americans who were stranded in New Orleans were there by choice, that it was their own fault that they were in that situation, Diuguid said.
However, most of those who were left in the city had no means of transportation to evacuate. In most cases, what transportation they did have was in no condition for bumper-to-bumper highways, he said.
Diuguid discussed the five functions that the media serve and illustrated how much media coverage is dedicated to different groups in America, including those based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation.
Diuguid used a model, which will appear in his 2006 book "Discovering the Real America," that compares the percentage of a group's population in America with the percentage that these groups are represented in the five media functions.
For instance, of the 294 million people living in America, African Americans make up 13.3 percent. Out of the five media functions, they represent at least 13.3 percent of the media coverage in two functions: entertainment and surveillance. In all other functions their media coverage is less than the percentage of the population they represent.
Hispanics make up 14.4 percent of the population, which is expected to increase 10 percent by 2050, and are represented by that percentage in one media function: surveillance.
Before Sept. 11, Muslims, who make up an estimated 6 percent of the American population, were not represented at all. After Sept. 11, however, they received representation in the surveillance function.
The Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender (GLBT) portion of the population makes up 10 percent and is represented by only the surveillance function as well.
Asians, Native Americans and the disabled are three groups in America that receive no representation and are basically invisible, he said. White men are, however, represented in all five media functions.
"If you consume media and know this is wrong, change it," Diuguid said. "Get the press to do it right.
"When they show all groups in the media we get a more complete and accurate image of ourselves and others, and that's the way it should be for all of society."
By not providing equal coverage to everyone, the public misses all the powerful real American stories, the Rosa Parks and other people who stand up and try to change something, Diuguid said.
By integrating all types of people into the media, "we can get a better understanding of what a real American is."
The media made it seem as though the African-Americans who were stranded in New Orleans were there by choice, that it was their own fault that they were in that situation, Diuguid said.
However, most of those who were left in the city had no means of transportation to evacuate. In most cases, what transportation they did have was in no condition for bumper-to-bumper highways, he said.
Diuguid discussed the five functions that the media serve and illustrated how much media coverage is dedicated to different groups in America, including those based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation.
Diuguid used a model, which will appear in his 2006 book "Discovering the Real America," that compares the percentage of a group's population in America with the percentage that these groups are represented in the five media functions.
For instance, of the 294 million people living in America, African Americans make up 13.3 percent. Out of the five media functions, they represent at least 13.3 percent of the media coverage in two functions: entertainment and surveillance. In all other functions their media coverage is less than the percentage of the population they represent.
Hispanics make up 14.4 percent of the population, which is expected to increase 10 percent by 2050, and are represented by that percentage in one media function: surveillance.
Before Sept. 11, Muslims, who make up an estimated 6 percent of the American population, were not represented at all. After Sept. 11, however, they received representation in the surveillance function.
The Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender (GLBT) portion of the population makes up 10 percent and is represented by only the surveillance function as well.
Asians, Native Americans and the disabled are three groups in America that receive no representation and are basically invisible, he said. White men are, however, represented in all five media functions.
"If you consume media and know this is wrong, change it," Diuguid said. "Get the press to do it right.
"When they show all groups in the media we get a more complete and accurate image of ourselves and others, and that's the way it should be for all of society."
By not providing equal coverage to everyone, the public misses all the powerful real American stories, the Rosa Parks and other people who stand up and try to change something, Diuguid said.
By integrating all types of people into the media, "we can get a better understanding of what a real American is."
