Black journalists rue media reports of violence, urge political organization

A panel of predominantly-black journalists rued the attention violence receives in media reports on race -- citing the reporting of protests of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri -- and told a predominantly-black audience at a National Press Club event Jan. 26 that communities must organize politically to get the police chiefs and police responses they want.

The event, "Coverage of Race in America: How are we doing? How can we do better?," was co-sponsored by the Capital Press Club (CPC) and the Press Club. The CPC, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary in the Club ballroom, was established in 1944 for black journalists, who were not admitted to the NPC until 1955.

Commenting on the panel's composition of five blacks, one Hispanic and one white before the event, Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American, which serves the black community in the St. Louis area, said "It's black people who are interested in reporting on blacks." She underlined the importance of "thrilling side bar" conversations on racial issues that the Ferguson protests evoked, on subjects "we have been telling for generations." Although the events revealed that the post-racial society "does not exist," she hoped that "healing will come out of this tragedy."

Paul Farhi, who covers media for the Washington Post, thought the coverage of Ferguson focused on violence but did not go beyond it to report how many people protested nor the geographic extent of the protests.

Farhi noted the absence of analysis comparing the difference between community reactions to recent policing incidents in Ferguson, New York and Oakland, California. He would have liked discussions of differences in police responses, political structure and media coverage.

"TV is about pictures, compelling pictures, so there's a focus on big crowds and a focus on violence," said CNN's Athena Jones.

Gilbert Bailon, editor of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, addressed both the media coverage of Ferguson and the role of race in immigration issues, noting that Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States.

The Post Dispatch took "flak" from all sides while it sought to uncover the facts in Ferguson, pursuing Michael Brown's juvenile record, which disproved allegations that he was a "thug," Bailon said. Going forward, he said the paper needs to do more, ask more questions, talk with younger people who are not the leaders it has been dealing with.

Panelists reached beyond discussions of coverage to political processes that could remove inequities. Roland Martin, host of TV One's "NewsOne Now" program, urged that protesters shift to public policy, to take action to change state and local laws.

"That's not our job, that's your job," Martin told the audience. "Our job is to report your doing it."

April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, reflected on covering the Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama administrations. Efforts for change that were successful involved "pressure, consistency and massive numbers of people," she said.

Race matters in the White House all the time but it only makes the front pages at "crescendo moments," Ryan said.

Jeff Johnson of Black Entertainment Television said changing police procedures would not result from reporters asking police chiefs hard questions but from focus on elections for big city mayors. Communities could make the appointment of the kind of police chiefs they want a factor in mayoral ellections, he said.

The program was jointly moderated by former NPC President Myron Belkind and CPC President Hazel Trice Edney, a new member of the Club.