How the Media reacts to Parkland Protests vs Black Lives Matter

[LionPride]

I wanted to make this thread for a while actually, but I didn't really get the urge until I saw a tweet and that Time cover and really began to think....why is it the right way for these people protesting school shootings yet it was not the right way for Black Lives Matter protesters according to the media?

The media has framed these two protests very differently, across all avenues. The protests in regards to the school shootings, have been framed as positive, as a necessity(which they are), as the right way to protest in the walkouts and marches. As the way to actually make sure change is enacted. For the most part we can agree, that these are good, that having people my age protesting like this, is good and not really a negative. The media frames this as a courageous protest done by the youth, showcasing how our voices will be heard and we will not be silence.

Yet....with the media portrayal of Black Lives Matter protests things have been.....rocky to say the least. The things the media focuses on the most is not what the protests are about, how the protests were for the most part non-violent, but instead the media focused on when the protests got violent. Which was almost never because of the people originally their to protest another young black man or woman being killed by the police, but instead, by the police being very reactionary or outside people who were purposefully acting out to draw a reaction. Yet, the actual protests were non-violent. When they protest on highways, they move out of the way for ambulances, yet the media would have you believe they were brutal "Thugs" who were willing to let a person die when that was not the case. You had things such as Blue Lives Matter/All Lives Matter sprout from this, things the media kept pushing and pushing.

The media frames these two protests quite differently and all I really wanted to ask is...why?

Please keep it on topic or at least as close to these topics as possible

 

[Astral Lovelace]

"Black Lives Matter"
there

 

[CopperPuppy]

The media frames these two protests quite differently and all I really wanted to ask is...why?

Click to shrink...

You know why

 

[Deleted member 11413]

I mean, right wing media has attempted to villify these students just like they attempted to villify BLM protestors. They were more effective at vilifying BLM protestors because of racism amongst the general public, but the tactics are similar.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

You know why

I mean, right wing media has attempted to villify these students just like they attempted to villify BLM protestors. They were more effective at vilifying BLM protestors because of racism amongst the general public, but the tactics are similar.

Click to shrink...

That's true too. But it's a much harder sell, trying to paint CHILDREN as the enemy. Not that they didn't try.

 

[Plutone]

Great OP. This issue needs to be pushed in people's faces.

 

[andymcc]

why do people become armchair political scientists whenever there are instances of destruction of property when it comes to BLM but are oddly silent when the same thing occurs over fucking sports team victories?

 

[Jessie]

The media doesn't exist to make you feel good. It exists to capitalize on your fear and outrage.

Does that involve invoking racial biases? Of course it does. Just look at the nonstop car chases and drug busts in diverse communities on Faux News.

 

[Zen]

You know why OP. All of us do. Despite their goals going hand in hand.

 

[QisTopTier]

Them being adults and racist stuff plays a part in the black lives stuff.

You stand up against the other stuff you are basically saying fuck kids. That's easier to look down on overall even for the most racist of people.

 

[est1992]

Been thinking this for a while since the whole Parkland movement started. It really just boils down to racism deeply entrenched into American minds and American society. That's really all it is. A lot of people out there don't like us no matter how they try to frame it or flip it.

 

[meowdi gras]

Cuz racists gonna racist, that's why. Unfortunately.

 

[BlackJace]

Black Lives Matter wants to make the country face and address the years of institutional racism and discrimination that disproportionally affects black people. To a lot of Americans, that's way more uncomfortable to deal with than what's going on with gun violence (even as stubborn as we are about guns).

Basically, we're more willing to have a conversation about guns before we are the lives of millions of black people. And that's fuckin sad tbh

 

[sphagnum]

You know why



That's true too. But it's a much harder sell, trying to paint CHILDREN as the enemy. Not that they didn't try.

Click to shrink...

I have no doubt they'd still be successful at turning the public's sympathies around if it was a movement of black children and teens.

 

[Invisible Cities]

"Gun violence is universal"

 

[LionPride]

Them being adults and racist stuff plays a part in the black lives stuff.

You stand up against the other stuff you are basically saying fuck kids. That's easier to look down on overall even for the most racist of people.

Click to shrink...

The thing is.....young teens have been protesting too, especially after Tamir Rice. You had 12 year olds out here protesting because a young man who was their age was gunned down.

 

[jph139]

The simple fact that more Americans agree with gun control than with police reform. Most Americans don't think there's a problem with the force used on a regular basis, that the occasional death is an acceptable anomaly, and that the police should be respected as an organization.

Now, the question is which is the chicken and which is the egg. It's probably a mix of the two.

 

[Sephzilla]

Because BLM tapped into a ton of the conscious and unconscious racism in America.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

I wanna say it's obvious (racism)


But at the same time kids being shot IN SCHOOL something that is VERY easy to wrap yours arms around. Because everyone has a kid, a little brother, a little sister, nieces, nephews etc etc that the problem could possibly affect.


So I feel like it's a combination of racism and the sheer scope of the problem of gun violence in schools and how many people it affects.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Mainstream "liberal" media are not the allies of black people. They capitalize off of black people (read "exploit") in every way while not respecting them as peers to white people: entertainment, sports, music, comedy, and portraying them as criminals when it comes to the news. News is negative and fear driven to get views. So, they play off deep-seated stereotypes even in the supposedly liberal media.

Better than conservative media outlets, but that's not saying much.

 

[QisTopTier]

The thing is.....young teens have been protesting too, especially after Tamir Rice. You had 12 year olds out here protesting because a young man who was their age was gunned down.

Click to shrink...

It's a movement started by and promoted by an older group of black citizens overall though. The general racist are going to and do view it as black people trying to take advantage of everyone else. Where the gun thing is as someone else said universal.

It's gross but that's how this has been.

 

[Nepenthe]

Because white children are more valuable than black people. It's pretty obvious.

 

[Kotto]

BLM was also were protesting cops which America still sadly has a hard-on for. Being black was going to always hold us back (hell, look at how some black, and other minorities, voices are drowned out from the discussion about school shootings.

 

[Mcfrank]

BLM was also were protesting cops which America still sadly has a hard-on for. Being black was going to always hold us back (hell, look at how some black, and other minorities, voices are drowned out from the discussion about school shootings.

Click to shrink...

I think this is the excuse, racism is the reason.

 

[Enzom21]

The same reason white criminals are treated better in the media than black victims.

 

[Krauser Kat]

The chicago march for lives is based around People of Color in our city battle with guns. Hopefully the main themes will be nocopacademy and stricter gun laws and more money to education and schools to keep them safe and fed.

The rest of the country i dunno but im proud of my city for protesting the

 

[Kotto]

I think this is the excuse, racism is the reason.

Click to shrink...

For a lot of people, yes. But there were others who fell for that lame ass excuse and it gave BLM a bad image in white people's eyes.

 

[Bold One]

Because White Kids Lives Matter more.

 

[ratcliffja]

It's both racism and the fact that it's harder to demonize children. Tray on Martin has a lot more support than the Ferguson protests while Parkland has a lot more support than Antifa. BLM being a black-led movement that mostly involves adults is a one-two punch that makes it an easy target. It's also a lot harder for white people to put their heads in the sand when it comes to senseless killings when it doesn't hurt them directly than when it's obvious that it could be their children.

 

[Goodstyle]

It was 100% about racism. It wasn't about a love of cops the same way the kneeling controversy isn't about the love of flags/national anthem.

 

[Prolepro]

You know why

Click to shrink...

.

 

[Rookhelm]

if my own personal facebook feed is any indication, I don't see any differences in people reacting negatively to BLM or Parkland walkouts. In both cases it's not the "right way" to protest. Rioting isn't the right way, standing up on stage and giving a speech at an event is not the right way, sitting down during the anthem is not the right way, walking out of school and skipping an education isn't the right way.

I'd love to know what the "right way" is. Actually, I know the answer...it's whatever way the opposition can easily ignore without effort.

 

[QisTopTier]

Rioting obviously isn't the right way, that's detrimental. The other stuff is fine.

 

[mutantmagnet]

Conservative media has been attacking the Parkland survivors except one because he happens to also support the status quo on guns.


The conservative media go on tizzy everytime left-wing media sidelines their poster child.


It goes to show what the agenda of left-wing media is when it comes to BLM.

They are divided so it's necessary to parse out who has given BLM a fair shake and who is inherently against it.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I have no doubt they'd still be successful at turning the public's sympathies around if it was a movement of black children and teens.

Click to shrink...

oh for sure.

I tell you truly that as a Parkland resident, the continuing coverage we're seeing is exactly what I always believed would happen. I (and probably most black folk) have had a theory where shit won't change until it starts impacting the children of wealthy white people. Poor POC? Noone curr. Poor whites? Maybe a few curr, but not enough. But rich white children? Now we have a problem.

After the tragedy occurred around here, I started to question it because some on the right were trying to call them actors and whatnot. But as time has moved along, we've seen politicians scramble to pass legislation, we've seen reps legit shook about whether they'll be able to retain their seats, well-funded marches in DC, and so on.

Things that are possible because of the power and privileged of being the children of wealthy whites. They are afraid of the kids as sympathetic white faces. They are afraid of their parents' deep pockets and connections.

it is exactly what we always thought. Shit starts changing when rich whites become victims.

 

[TrueSloth]

I mean, the parkland kids see there is a difference in media reactions and have stated they are using their privilage to speak out against injustice that affects us all. Its a shitty truth.

 

[LionPride]

Rioting obviously isn't the right way, that's detrimental. The other stuff is fine.

Click to shrink...

So I take it you didn't read what I said in my OP

 

[Son Lamar]

When black people want something the media sees it as us saying what you "gave" us isn't good enough and the react with know your place mentality/maybe if you thugs weren't doing x then you wouldn't happen to you how dare you protest


VS
. Theses kids who rightfully so are doing it the same manner aren't being taking out of context with there angry they aren't focusing on a bad apple in the group and painting the whole group with that brush they are letting this kids talk and put their feelings and needs if the group out in the opinion with little resistance from most mainstream organizations all in all it helps that the are mostly white kids
I hope something good comes from this


. I just wonder how this would have played out in a most black school

 

[QisTopTier]

So I take it you didn't read what I said in my OP

Click to shrink...

That wasn't in response to you.

 

[daveo42]

The big reason (and fyi the kids know it) with why coverage has been different is that this time an affluent, mostly white school has been affected by gun violence, meaning they were given a bigger platform out of the gate in comparison to other schools that have faced this level of gun violence over the years but also other protests like BLM. It's one of the reasons why they have teamed up with other organizations that should have received attention already, but are only getting press thanks to white kids protesting. Like #wearorange. It's fucked, but it's also hopefully helping to open peoples eyes to the fact that our country is still deeply racist.

 

[LionPride]

That wasn't in response to you.

Click to shrink...

Yet I openly talked about how there really weren't riots by the actual protesters

 

[Deleted member 4367]

Rioting obviously isn't the right way, that's detrimental. The other stuff is fine.

Click to shrink...

I don't think there's anything obvious about what you said.

 

[Ramala]

Black Lives Matter wants to make the country face and address the years of institutional racism and discrimination that disproportionally affects black people. To a lot of Americans, that's way more uncomfortable to deal with than what's going on with gun violence (even as stubborn as we are about guns).

Basically, we're more willing to have a conversation about guns before we are the lives of millions of black people. And that's fuckin sad tbh

Click to shrink...

And we REALLY don't want to talk about guns. Again just reflecting how institutional racism is so ingrained and horrific.

 

[Heshinsi]

why do people become armchair political scientists whenever there are instances of destruction of property when it comes to BLM but are oddly silent when the same thing occurs over fucking sports team victories?

Click to shrink...

Because when people that look like you are doing bad things, it's always down to individual levels of guilt and culpability. But the other guys? One is enough to paint all of them.

I still can't believe some dude ate horse poop.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

You know why



That's true too. But it's a much harder sell, trying to paint CHILDREN as the enemy. Not that they didn't try.

Click to shrink...

Yes, and it's harder to villify rich white children especially. But they definitely tried, so if we are looking at this from a media perspective, I think the approach taken by right wing media was the same in both cases.

 

[illmatic22]

It's not something that's been lost on me.

 

[QisTopTier]

Yet I openly talked about how there really weren't riots by the actual protesters

Click to shrink...

It doesn't matter riots are detrimental and can be abused to paint a jaded picture easier than anything else. So the people that took advantage of the protest to riot around them paints the movement that way to the public because the media uses it as ammo to stir up fear and controversy.

If riots broke out over the gun stuff you bet your ass they would jump on that, it wont be as effective as the racisim spin but they would spin it as "you need to protect yourself from these crazy people that want to destroy your city taking guns away will just let them riot easier!"

The general public rarely looks into details on stuff more than a glance of what the news says

 

[Verelios]

We already know why OP, and it's heartbreaking.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

The United States of America does not give in to terrorist demands.

My girl Tommy Larynx and the rest of her people are fighting the good fight against terrorism.

 

[Maneil99]

Nobody wants to hear about people of colours problems