Discussion Questions

  1. Discuss local examples using Rome’s process model (p. 248) of how media imagery creates and blends with stereotypes to perpetuate the image of the criminal black male. What would be a more accurate way for the media to report the examples you are considering?
  2. Consider Surette’s “law of opposites”. While he uses crime as an example, can you think of any other topics that also fit the characteristics of his law? For example, are there other media stories that are, for example. a prominent feature of all media, overwhelmingly about the seriousness of that topic, have characters that are generally different than those really involved in that topic, etc. See page 249 for additional characteristics.
  3. Consider the following quote (p. 252)
  4. “Moreover, people who accuse police of brutality are often non-white, are often relatively poor, and often have criminal records.... These are not the kinds of people reporters feel most comfortable relying on for "news." Nor are they the audiences for whom many reporters envision producing the news” (Lawrence, 2000: 55).
  5. What impact does this have on society’s perspective of police violence? Do you think our impression of police violence would change if critical citizen voices were present in media accounts?
  6. In reviewing A Closer Look (p. 256), does it really matter that the book and TV interviewed were pulled from bookstores and the media when Simpson still earned $3.5 million for the project? Given the fact that he was found not guilty, is this really an issue of unfairness and injustice? Can you think of additional examples of similar treatment for people accused of crimes who were found not guilty?