[ican'tbelieveit]

No, for decades they have redacted minority descriptors. You just haven’t been around this site long enough to see the history.

Two things happen in media, and have been going on for longer than this site has been around, but this site has been good at noting it.

Minorities are protected in criminal activities. The easiest description being the skin color is ommitted.

When unseemly politician behavior is being reported on, if the politician is a republican, you will know it in the first sentence. If a demoncrat, it may not be included in the article at all.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

True, but it's gotten way more acute. I don't know how many times the local news has said "suspect described as a male - if you know anything about the incident call police" - so you have to go find the Facebook page of the investigating agency, scroll around and chances are good they will have info to fill in the blanks. Also citizens may be posting there who have even more detailed info. About all the media does these days is alert you that something has happened and it's now up to you to do the legwork to get the details if you're so inclined.

 

 

[Does so]

In Massachusetts, it’s “a Boston man”, “a Lawrence man”, “a Fall River man”...