Black Leaders Want Local Media to Stop Reporting Crimes (Pittsburgh: chapel, felony)

[Uptown kid]

Have you heard the saying "Snitches get Stitches!!!" If you don't wanna get shot/stabbed/jumped/robbed/or rapped you simply don't snitch in neighborhoods like:
Homewood North *there are a few safe streets
Homewood South *there are a few safe streets
Homewood West
Terrace Village
Bedford Dwellings (southern tip excluded)
East Hills
Northview Heights
Part of Manchester (Upper Manchester)
Larimer
Part of Wilkinsburg
Beltzhoover
Mt. Oliver Borough
Knoxville
Duquense
Most of McKeesport
Most of Hazelwood
Most of Homestead
Glen Hazel
Garfield (Penn ave area excluded)
Most of Lincoln-Lemmington-Belmar (Lower Lincoln)
Part of Penn Hills
Most of Middle Hill
A few streets of Crawford Roberts Hill
Allentown
Arlington
Mt. Oliver
Arlington Heights

This is especially true in Section 8/Projects in these neighborhoods... I could show you that some gangs like the 581 Molher Projects Hilltop Cripz from Homewood pack more powerful heat than the cops!!! This is only wimpy Pittsburgh... Chi-town's Latin Disiples will you get your penis shot off if they think you rat to the FEDs!!! Telling the cops is right but dangerous in it's "vigilante," consequences.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Pitts10yrs

The problem is not the news media, police, schools, or any of the other things that are cited by the black community, but it is the black community itself. Start parenting your kids, focus on education, rather than teaching them all to be rappers and ballers.

Rappers aren't the downfall of society. And do you seriously think parents taught the rapper generation how to rap? Get a clue, pitts..

[Pitts10yrs]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Rappers aren't the downfall of society. And do you seriously think parents taught the rapper generation how to rap? Get a clue, pitts..

You missed the point...avoidance of course. I seriously don't think the media, the police, or schools are creating all the problems for the black race, but surely the message in rap music or brainwashing kids into thinking they are going to be NFL/NBA stars is a way out of poverty.

Spend some time in local schools and you will see the issue.

[sky40]

Originally Posted by Pitts10yrs

The problem is not the news media, police, schools, or any of the other things that are cited by the black community, but it is the black community itself. Start parenting your kids, focus on education, rather than teaching them all to be rappers and ballers.

Nice way to generalize the entire black community. I believe THAT is exactly what they are talking about.

[sky40]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I think the OP clearly misconstrued the article and what the people in question are saying. I am all for a constructive and respectful dialogue, but that starts with paying close attention to what others are saying.

Speaking for myself: I don't think there is any bias in terms of covering crime. "If it bleeds, it leads" is the informal motto of all local news.

On the other hand, the standard local news strategy includes sprinkling in some "human interest" or "feel good" stories. And I do think there is some evidence--not limited to Pittsburgh--that local news outlets are often biased in this category in that they tend to select human-interest/feel-good stories that involve ethnic minorities at a disproportionately low rate. I don't think this has to be the result of any sort of conscious bias--in each case they may just be intuiting what they believe will appeal to a majority of their audience, and not thinking about the fact that the cumulative results may end up being disproportionate.

With that background in mind, I don't think it is correct for people like Goldrick to imply that the main problem is a failure of "black activists" to sufficiently promote or communicate positive stories. The world is full of "activists" seeking news coverage, and it won't make any difference what "black activists" are doing if the filter at the media outlet in question has a biased structure (even if unintentionally).

For that reason, I think it is perfectly appropriate for people to draw this issue to the attention of the local media outlets, and to ask them to think carefully about their procedures and policies for selecting the stories they cover, with the goal of achieving a reasonable proportionality of human-interest/feel-good stories.

Well said!

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Pitts10yrs

The problem is not the news media, police, schools, or any of the other things that are cited by the black community, but it is the black community itself. Start parenting your kids, focus on education, rather than teaching them all to be rappers and ballers.

Again, it isn't just that. The media does play a part in this. Believe or not, there are African-American parents who do make sure their children concentrate on their education and to strive for something besides being a wannabe rapper. Those parents and children, however, are not the ones who get the attention. Being a thug gets more attention than being educated. If being an educated African-Americans is so "rare", then why aren't there more stories and more being done to promote these persons in the media?

[Pitts10yrs]

Originally Posted by sky40

Nice way to generalize the entire black community. I believe THAT is exactly what they are talking about.

Who's generalizing? The statistics are overwhelming!!! Visit Shuman detention center or Pittsburgh Publics alternative schools. The minority is a majority but not in a good way.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by PeterRabbit

When a crime is committed the innocent and decent blacks who witnessed it don't cooperate with police claiming to have seen nothing. That contributes to further crime in their neighborhoods. They aren't all that decent.

Well, not to excuse anyone, but this is what tends to happen in many inner city neighborhoods. The "snitches get stitches" rule is in effect. Many of the bystanders don't tell what they saw out of fear of the criminal. The fear of retribution from the culprit scares many people more than their actual crime on someone else. If you want to address that issue, one needs to address this: Why are some people fear retribution from the criminals in the neighborhood?

[Pitts10yrs]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

If being an educated African-Americans is so "rare", then why aren't there more stories and more being done to promote these persons in the media?

How sad would that be. An AA kid doing what all the other kids are doing, and so he or she gets recognition. So basically you would be celebrating AA's who are not committing crimes?

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Pitts10yrs

How sad would that be. An AA kid doing what all the other kids are doing, and so he or she gets recognition. So basically you would be celebrating AA's who are not committing crimes?

I'm sick of hearing of the criminals in the media. It makes African-Americans such as myself, who are trying to get an education, who are trying to do well in life, look bad. I can't do much about negative image of African-Americans in the media other than not watch the local news. I don't watch the local news anymore because of this. I can't stop a criminal from committing a crime. I can't stop the media from putting it out there. I can't really stop other people from hating on African-Americans. I can't do this, not by myself at least. What I can do as an individual is get my college degree(I am about 2semester away from graduating), and not perpetuate stereotypes.

And I will celebrate the African-Americans who do go to college and get degrees. I will celebrate those who strive for something besides being a rapper or athlete. I will celebrate such persons because I want to see more African-Americans do better. Watching a friend of my graduate from college(who is African-American) gave me hope to keep trying. My father having a college degree let me know that as an African-American, I can and should strive for something better in life.