https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/19/jessie-smollett-letter-brothers-attack/
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jussie-smollett-controversy-proves-media-has-its-own-agenda-ben-shapiro
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/17/18228444/jussie-smollett-hoax-hate-crime-claims-explained
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXLx5OY21Bk
More than 150 types of guns have been banned in Chicago since 2013. Almost 3,000 people were shot in Chicago last year. These people never received as much attention from the mainstream media as a relatively minor assault that Jussie Smollett claimed to have happened three weeks ago. Smollet, a gay black actor, reported to Chicago police that he had been attacked by two white males wearing MAGA hats on January 29. He claimed that the men yelled, “This is MAGA country.” Smollet had two minor scratches on his face and a rope around his neck. The media ate it up faster than OJ Simpson’s white Bronco. A Washington Post Analyst said, “It adds to sort of the atmosphere of menace that African Americans in particular and people of color in general have felt since the advent of the Trump administration.” One CNN anchor added with a serious tone, “This is America in 2019.” As a crime story, it did not make much sense. Many became skeptical of Smollett; he responded: “If I had said that the attacker was black or Muslim, more people would have supported me.” This past weekend two black men that are acquaintances of Smollett came out and explained how Smollett staged the attack. This is an important example of the media’s role as a gatekeeper. Most of the media focused on this false attack instead of real issues. Opinions may be expressed however the media wants, but facts to support their opinions are being faked, e.g. Nick Sandmann and Donald Trump being a Russian spy. Whatever “facts” the media puts out largely impacts government policy, and they will continue to use their power to influence people. If this 36-year-old man hadn’t been exposed, it would have impacted policymaking and voters. People stereotype a whole group based on a few’s actions, so it would have caused many to separate themselves from the MAGA movement. Americans shouldn’t be surprised when something like this happens again, and they need to be more careful about where they receive their news.
Do you believe fake news is becoming more common, or is it just covered more now? Do you believe celebrities have used their power like this more often than people know? Do you think this situation delegitimizes anti-black and anti-gay attacks or has it brought more attention to the issue? Why do you believe the media covers somewhat known actors or “celebrities” instead of real issues and real people being attacked in the U.S.?
Fake news has always been around, but I think only recently has it been brought to the light. I think it does delegitimize actual attacks on specific demographics, but hopefully it brings to light that these attacks are a very big deal. The media covers whatever will get them viewership and attention, and therefore, more money.
ReplyDeleteI actually do think "fake news" is more common now. As we read in our AMSCO book, journalism has changed a lot in recent years. People today value speed and efficiency over accuracy and integrity. I think celebrities have a very unique amount of influence over the general public and media. It wouldn't surprise me if they were using their influence for the wrong purposes. I hope that this fabrication does not lessen the legitimacy of hate crimes. I read today that there are currently 1,020 hate groups (white supremacist, neo-nazi, anti-black, etc.) in the US according to the Southern Poverty Law Center which is an all time high. Based on this data, I believe that these attacks are not becoming more rare or less frequent. For this reason, it is very irritating that the media covers false accusation rather than real victims. I don't blame the media for believing this man; they had no reason not to at the time. I would like to see the media refrain from reporting these types of stories until there is supplemental evidence.
ReplyDeleteFake news is more covered due to the fact that it is becoming more common. It has been shown countless times that celebrities use their money, power, and mainly their influence in order to promote their agendas. Fake attacks such as these further delegitimize their real life counterparts that are hardly ever reported on in mainstream media. Media only covers the stories of celebrities or those in positions of power due to the fact that they draw the most attention. News today has become matter of making a story rather than actually providing information. Media doesn't care about actual issues in our nation, they care about the stories that will bring them the most viewers and the highest ratings.
ReplyDeleteFake news has always been around, and it will continue to be around. It wouldn't surprise me if there were a lot of celebrities that are using their fame for wrong reasons. Celebrities know they have a lot of fans who admire them and will believe whatever they say. They're just taking advantage of the platform they have.
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