Reflective Journal 1: My Views on Mass Media

Reflective Journal 1: My Views on Mass Media

SOC 105 – Society and the Media

Reflective Journal 1: My Views on Mass Media

There have been many negative experiences that have occurred in mass media from T.V., News, Facebook, Movies, etc. that affected me. Sadly, they all seem to be surrounding racism. These events have heightened my concern with where we are as a nation. To mention one type of experience that affects me is how, white people are getting away with falsely accusing black people of wrongdoing and calling the police on them out of their own suspicions and stereotypes. White people are making accusations over minor, stupid, non-violent or threatening events. It seems the police will react to the slightest feeling of unease that a white person feels about a black person. Is it that a white person feels superior that black people or minorities do not belong or cannot afford to be where they are, so they think the worst, and call police out of prejudice.?

For example, police have been called on African American men for sitting in Starbucks and an African American student napping in dorm room after falling asleep from working papers (1). Neighbors of an Airbnb, thinking black men were thieves because they loaded packed suitcases in their car, called the police when the men were leaving the rental, they rented while on vacation (1). Nordstrom Rack employees called police on black teens when shopping for prom items (1). An owner of a golf-course called the police on a group of black women for playing too slowly (1). As you can see all the calls were made on mere suspicions due to stereotypes, prejudges and racism.

Due to use of social media, this type of harassing events has been exposed. Because of awareness these incidents no longer end up in arrest or violence. Yet, they are frustrating, inconvenient and embarrassing and can leave an emotional scar and fear in people. White people should be made to pay fines for falsely accusing and calling police on black innocent people.

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