the news coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial and other black crime

According to chapter 7 of Larson’s “Media and Minorities,” journalists have control over what is included in or excluded from the news and the angle that stories take. Minorities are often represented as violent or the cause of problems, or their difference compared to whites may be emphasized. While stereotypes are not as obvious as they once were, they can be found in the headlines and tone of news stories. Issues are often defined as having two distinct sides, dismissing the complexities of reality. In this way, minorities are typically represented as “good” or “bad” characters to the news stories rather than complex individuals. Because few minorities are represented in media, a minority may be expected to bear the responsibility of representing his entire race.
African Americans in particular are typically represented in media as criminals or athletes, according to chapter 8 of Larson. When blacks are involved in crime or violence, the news media treats this as a typical occurrence, while a white criminal’s behavior is described as out of the ordinary or unexpected.
Chapter 8 emphasized that the media often represents blacks as victims of poverty or difficult pasts. If a black individual is portrayed in a positive light, he is a success story for having overcome the difficulties of his life. This tactic was used by media during O.J. Simpson’s famous murder trial. Simpson was described as rising above the poverty of his childhood to become rich and successful then returning to the violence that influenced the beginning of his life.
According to Lipsitz’s “The Greatest Story Ever Sold: Marketing and the O.J. Simpson Trial,” media also took advantage of the entertainment qualities of the O.J. Simpson trial. The trial had all of the qualities of a popular television drama, including an athlete, actor, and celebrity being charged with murder, court room scenes, and various tangible pieces of evidence.
I think it’s incredible how much money all of the t.v. networks, magazines, etc, (and even Simpson himself) made off of this murder trial. The scene of Simpson trying on the gloves, which were some major pieces of evidence in the trial, emphasizes how similar this trial was to a fictional trial in a movie or novel. The trial had the attention of viewers throughout the country who may not have normally been so interested in a trial. It’s likely that the media was so quick to become involved in this trial because it was another instance of “a violent black man,” an image that was already common in the media. I wonder if the trial would have been the biggest news story if Simpson was a white rich man instead of a black celebrity. Another added factor may be that Simpson’s wife was white, so it was an interracial marriage. The factors of race in the case may have added to the fame that this trial received.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VssuCNMjgBg&feature=related