Taking all the media together...newspapers, television, radio, we'll leave off sports casters, I'm not so sure that the percentage of African Americans wouldn't be pretty equal to that of their representation in society. Our locals news stations in our town (3 stations) each have at least one African American represented. That's on television, every night. Who knows how many work behind the scenes as reporters but not on air.
My point is that Ford made some pretty silly statements in this speech and it's hard to imagine a white politician condemning Black media and surviving the political firestorm that would follow. Justified or not.
"My point is that Ford made some pretty silly statements in this speech and it's hard to imagine a white politician condemning Black media and surviving the political firestorm that would follow. Justified or not."
We're in full agreement on that.
"Our locals news stations in our town (3 stations) each have at least one African American represented. That's on television, every night. Who knows how many work behind the scenes as reporters but not on air."
I'll tell you: almost none. The ones on the air are window dressing to keep black groups from raising a fuss. In the mainstream media, even in the explicitly liberal media (The Nation, New Republic, American Prospect, etc.), there is almost no black representation among producers and reporters.