Police and Media


On September 16th, 2017,  a Georgia Tech student, Scout Schultz, was gunned down by Georgia Tech Police for advancing towards cops with a multipurpose pocketknife. However, a video released shows Schultz was in no way a threat to anyone but himself by yelling "shoot me" to the cops involved. Schultz did not charge at police, he did not open his pocket knife. He was just a student with mental issues, he was not in the right frame of mind but he was also not a danger to anyone, including the cops. So why was Schultz shot to death, by "trained" police officers?

 In the last eight years police brutality, public mistrust of law enforcement, and police conduct/misconduct have been trending topics in media. We've been on a rollercoaster of emotion's through the outrage of Travon Martin, Furgason riots, and Black Lives Matter dominating media outlets. Since media had been an intricate part of the severed relationship between the public and police, it makes me wonder about the power of media.

Without mass media, would the Black Lives Matter movement cease to exist? Had we not watch the Florida Vs. George Zimmerman case unfolds from our living rooms would there have been as many riots and protests in the following years? It's truly hard to say, but I don't think we would be in this state of revelation and-as some would consider-revolution without the media's presence. Whether it's for the better or worse is debatable among many. However, i think in this particular subject/instance, journalist have done well as muckrakers, and media has shown its influence on audiences and society.

I know everyone has a different opinion on racial issues in today's society, but without getting too into that, would you guys agree or disagree that media's influence is further advancing and becoming a medium that's revolutionizing the way we exchange idea's and shape our country.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 24, 2017 at 11:41 PM

    I definitely agree that media makes political mobilization possible in ways that were not even imaginable in previous eras. Social media, especially, brings together large groups of like-minded people from across the country or world who can organize, exchange information and ideas, and can much more quickly make a political difference. This is usually a positive thing. On the other hand, in today’s competitive news environment, the media will not hesitate to exploit groups of people for clicks and views. It is especially complicit in perpetrating the racial divide, particularly, the misconceptions about Black Lives Matters, causing it to have a negative reputation. So I agree with you that the media is highly influential, in both good and bad ways.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JessieSeptember 25, 2017 at 3:53 PM

    I really like the take you have on this topic. I have never pondered the question: Without meida, would the black lives matter movement cease to exist?
    I do not think it would, mass media fuels peoples thoughts. I agree with you without media we would not be in this situation. I like how you question media, mass media creates opinions on important topics. It seems like media could make situations worse rather than better.

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