Wrap-Up

Throughout the course of my blog, I've identified many situations in which the media's impartiality is clearly tainted, our at the very least questionable. From Bill Clinton to the Occupy Wall Street movement and from MSNBC to Fox News, the modern media is certainly guilty of a degree of bias (and that, no doubt, goes for both sides of the political spectrum).

The problem, and it's a serious one, is that bias in the media presents a host of issues that have a serious effect on our country. Media bias can derail political campaigns (see Palin, Sarah), discredit or legitimize entire movements (Occupy and the Tea Party), and play a critical role in a number of momentous decisions made by our political leaders. The favor given to particular candidates like Mitt Romney or current President Barack Obama can, and forgive the sensationalism, literally sway the entire course of human history.

I hope that I have helped any readers realize that the mainstream media is no longer to be relied upon as a completely credible source. Readers and viewers have to now investigate a variety of sources in order to reach a truly informed opinion. Luckily we are living a time that is rich in information. The internet allows us to research the most important of issues through a wide variety of different sources. Hopefully, people will begin to grasp that idea and begin to take interest in important issues and doing their own investigative research, and not just listen to what they are told by the talking heads on their television sets.

Blacks and the Tea Party/Occupy Movements

Since the onset of the grassroots conservative movement, the Tea Party has been ridiculed over and over for the lack of diversity within their ranks. Additionally, the Tea Party has been accused several times of outright racism during their various events, rallies, and protests. Several signs and posters are claimed to have racist undertones. However, the support of influential black conservative like businessman and Republican Candidate Herman Cain and Representative Allan West, as well as reports of fake racism to discredit the movement have been somewhat successful in fending off attacks. However, it is interesting to note that the lack of minority, particularly African-American, presence at the Tea Party events is quite normally blamed solely on the Tea Party, not on African Americans.

However, a similar and more recent movement has seen a similar lack of diversity in their masses: Occupy Wall Street. Interestingly, a recent Washington Post article by Stacey Patton has tackled the issue in a very different way from which most have handled the Tea Party's lack of Blacks. Instead of blaming the Occupy Movement for the lack of diversity, the blame is instead placed on African-Americans and their unwillingness to join the liberal response to the conservative Tea Party.

I believe this change, although only one example, is yet another instance of the lack of fairness in today's mainstream media. So far, I've mostly been able to identify a liberal tilt, and this article certainly does not disqualify that claim.

Bill Clinton and Herman Cain

Over the last 10 days or so, Republican Presidential Candidate (and arguably the front-runner) Herman Cain has been dealing with the fallout from a number of accusations of sexual harassment during his time at the National Restaurant Association. So far, 5 separate women have come forward to accuse the popular business man of inappropriate sexual conduct. Whether these allegations are true or not has yet to be confirmed.

As criticism of the popular media gains popularity in our country (Republican Candidate Newt Gingrich being at the forefront), reports like those against Cain are facing more intense scrutiny than in the past. POLITICO, the political website that originally broke the Cain harassment stories, has come under intense scrutiny.

And as usual for any sort of political commentary, POLITICO is being accused of having a partisan agenda. Surprisingly though, even democrats are standing up for Herman Cain. It is interesting to witness the treatment of former President Bill Clinton as an Elder Statesman, despite his definitively true actions while in office, while generally congenial Herman Cain is vilified for his "predatory black sexuality". It will certainly be interesting to see how these allegations play out, and how various news outlets will respond to the backlash.

Scholarly Article and Summary

For my scholarly article, I have selected a sociological article in the American Sociological Review. I determined the article to be academic due to it's location on the JSTOR database and it's status as an article in a peer reviewed journal.

In their article, John Hagan and Wenona Rymond-Richmond give their take on dehumanization in a more modern Holocaust: Darfur. As Professors at Northwestern University and the University of Massachusetts, respectively, Hagan and Rymond-Richmond analyze the tragedy of genocide racial dehumanization in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur in Northeastern Africa.   Specifically, they take note of the “state origins of race-based ideology in the mobilization and dehumanization leading to genocide” (875). While at first glance the article may seem like a typical analysis of the African tragedy, a closer reading indicates that the article takes on a definitively academic tone, citing both primary sources as well as other scholarly opinions on the subject of genocide. This look at Darfur will help me reenforce my arguments about racial dehumanization and it’s central role in Maus, while also allowing me to support my claims by referencing a similar, more modern version of the Holocaust. 

Hagan, John, and Wenona Rymond-Richmond. “The Collective Dynamics of Racial Dehumanization and Genocidal Victimization in Darfur.” American Sociological Review 73.6 (2008): 875-902. JSTOR. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.

Howard Stern and Occupy Wall St.

Sometimes the media takes more a humorous approach to current events. When people think of comedic media, names like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher often come up. But we can't forget long-time radio and television icon, Howard Stern. Stern is generally known for his more racy style of commentary and his unique selection of interviews. After getting his start on more traditional syndicated radio, Stern has made his way to XM/Sirius satellite radio in 2006 and reaches millions of listeners every day. His guest list has included the likes of gaudy pop-star Lady Gaga, playboy Hugh Hefner, and wrestling celebrity Hulk Hogan.

Recently, Stern has made his way into the media craze over the "Occupy Wall Street" phenomenon that I have gone over in previous blog posts. Stern went out to interview some of the young protestors, with some very interesting results. Although little disclaimer is given, a normal person could probably guess that those interviewed by Stern are (hopefully) not representative of the entire group that has taken to the streets across the nation. It appears to be a case of cherry-picking susceptible-looking protestors with fairly simple questions.

The responses Stern receives appear to indicate a low level of intelligence and/or purpose amongst those who had come out to the New York-based protest, but again, the results are not exactly scientific. Regardless, Stern provides an effective and humorous take on the controversial rallies, letting people forget about all of the hype surrounding the "Occupy" events.

Other Blogs

As creative and clever as I may be, the topic of rhetoric in the media is hardly a unique one. The topic is often covered in various publications in print as well as online. And of course, the topic is also covered in the so-called "blogosphere."

One such blog is very blunt in it's title, MediaRhetoric. This particular blog is written by a very credible author, Dr. Janet Lynn Johnson, Ph.D. Her doctorate happens to be very relevant; she holds a degree in Rhetoric from Texas Woman's University. She also holds a Master of Arts in journalism, also very relevant to her subject. The blog, at least as of late, has concentrated on the various dramas of the Republican Presidential Primary. The blog features in-depth analysis of both the rhetoric employed by the various candidates, as well as the commentary by the long list of networks and pundits who constantly analyze the race. In my opinion, the target audience of the blog would likely be those affiliated with the Republican Party, or at least those who would have some interest in their primaries.

Another blog is similarly titled MereRhetoric. The author, Omri Cerin, also has similar credentials to Dr. Johnson; he is working at his Ph.D in Rhetoric from the University of Southern California at their communications school. His blog also deals with rhetoric in the media, predictably concentrated on political events like the primary and President Obama's administration. His blog seems to appeal to a wider audience, as his posts do not revolve solely around the Republican side of politics.

Both blogs certainly have different audiences than Team America and the other readings that we have done in class, as they, like most blogs, seem to appeal to the common person rather than an academic crowd.

Visual Rhetoric: Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street

Recently, there has been somewhat of a grassroots counter-attack to the popular and controversial Tea Party. The Tea Party, a generally right-wing conservative movement has found a challenger in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement and its various spinoffs. The Occupy Wall Street Movement, according to the "unofficial, de facto" online resource, OccupyWallSt.org, is a "horizontally organized resistance movement employing the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to restore democracy in America." The movement generally seems espouse socialist and anti-corporate ideas, judging from most reports of their rallies across the nation.

As arguably the original grassroots movement, the Tea Party has been subject to a variety of visual displays of violent rhetoric. The most prominent can be found in the much-maligned TEA PARTY ZOMBIES MUST DIE online video game, where players must use a variety of hand-held weapons and firearms to fight off zombified Tea Partiers.

Although the Occupy Wall Street movement is relatively new, they have been met with much less violent responses. They are, however, the butt of jokes in cartoons like this one.

The contrast between the level of violence in visual attacks against these two grassroots movements is striking. A good googling couldn't produce any violent images about the Occupy movement, but a quick search could give you access to an online avenue for slaughtering Tea Partiers. The difference could be explained by the youth of the Occupy movement, but it is certainly eyebrow-raising to see the varying levels of violent rhetoric employed by each side.

Jimmy Hoffa and the Tea Party

When two organizations are so radically different in nature and purpose, it becomes easy for strong and sometimes violent rhetoric to be employed. Such is the case with the loosely-confederated grassroots movement known as the "Tea Party" and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (aka the Teamsters Union), particularly it's President, Jimmy Hoffa. 

As I noted in my previous post about the Tuscon shootings, the Tea Party has been often criticized in the media for the use of unnecessarily violent rhetoric. For the most part, individuals like Sarah Palin or some nameless poster-holder are criticized for invoking harsh and sometimes violent language to get their points across. For the most part, however, despite what news outlets like the Huffington Post would tell you, Tea Party gatherings and rallies are almost never seriously violent, and reports say that they are even less violent than past anti-war protests.

On the other hand, little media attention is given to the violence committed by traditionally left-wing organizations like labor unions. As recently as a few weeks ago, there have been violent conflicts involving protesting unions. However, one instance of violent union rhetoric has received significant coverage, presumably because of the proximity of President Obama to the scene. 

"Let's take these sons of bitches out!" yelled Teamster Union President Jimmy Hoffa as President Obama waited in the wings. Hoffa told his predominately Union-affiliated crowd on September 5th that the Tea Party was waging a "war on workers" and that he and his Union "army" was "ready to march." Admirably and obviously, the President has tried to distance himself from these remarks, especially given his party's call for reduced and peaceful rhetoric from their Republican foes. 

Some good lessons as well as questions can be learned from this disturbing event. Does the media concentrate on right-wing rhetoric and "vitriol" while pushing similar left-wing events aside? Can the mainstream media be trusted to accurately deliver the news in an unbiased fashion? I, and I'm sure most of you, would hope that is not the case. We'll explore it more in future posts.

Gabrielle Giffords and Sarah Palin

Perhaps the most high-profile recent act of violence in America was the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. Nineteen people were shot in a grocery store parking lot by a 22 year old young man, Jared Loughner. On top of that, a Federal Judge, John Roll was killed and a United States Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head and was thought to be fatally wounded. Thankfully, many of the people who were shot, including the Congresswoman, survived the attack.

After the dust had cleared in Southern Arizona, many (especially those in the media) were quick to look for someone to blame. Somehow, it was not Jared Loughner who received the most criticism. It wasn't his parents. It wasn't security. It wasn't some terrible influence on Loughner. It was the former Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Michael Daly, a staff writer for the New York Daily News, wrote this story, entitled "Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's blood is on Sarah Palin's hands after putting cross hair over district."

Palin, an often controversial Republican speaker and strategist, is quoted in the opening of Daly's article: "Don't retreat! Instead - RELOAD!" Obviously, the quote is taken out of context, a fairly weak way to open the article. He goes on to accuse Palin of "at the very least" being responsible for being a part of the culture of violence that lead to the tragedy in January. To finish the obvious smear piece, Daly pokes at Palin's Alaskan roots: "And, now that Palin may have the blood of more than some poor caribou on her hands, I wonder if she will continue putting people in cross hairs and calling on folks to RELOAD!"


After reading the article, it is clear that Daly is capable of some incredible mental gymnastics. To connect a horrible massacre perpetrated by one clearly deranged individual to any sort of unrelated political figure (Republican, Democrat, or otherwise) is absurd. To attempt to use such an event for political gain is simply horrifying and that is clearly what Daly is attempting to do here. You could never read another one of his articles and know that he obviously is oriented with the political left. I hope this article is as ineffective on others as it was on me, it is truly a shame to see one columnist help hurt the reputation of so many others. 

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Over the semester, I plan on analyzing the topic of violent rhetoric as it is portrayed in the mainstream media. By the mainstream media, I am referring predominately to 24 hour major news networks such as CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and the like. I plan to analyze the use of certain language used by these networks and their ilk as well as cover their analysis of the controversial "rhetoric and vitriol" that is so often referred to. Many of my examples will likely be political in nature, but I will try earnestly to criticize fairly and in a politically neutral fashion; I will attempt to be "fair and balanced", just as these networks claim to be.

There are already widely-accepted stereotypes concerning these media outlets. Most are often criticized for being a part of the "mainstream left-wing media", while a couple are described as advocates for right-wing conservative people and causes. I will try to ignore these established stereotypes in my analysis, but will keep them in mind when a point needs to be made.

From blaming conservative rhetoric from figureheads like Sarah Palin for the recent tragedy in Arizona to blaming President Barack Obama for all the world's problems, I will do my best to distinguish who is being fair in their use and analysis of violent rhetoric and who is making mountains out of molehills.

I hope you will read and enjoy.

Thomas Reckling '12