Some say technology brings the world to your fingertips. Still, despite the fact that we live in a hyper-connected, media driven society, it is not uncommon to find flummoxed expressions on the faces of news-weary consumers.
That's because many are disillusioned by media coverage that critics say is too biased, too inaccurate and too sensationalistic. As a matter of fact, six in 10 people believe that news coverage is biased, according to the results of a May 16, 2005, survey conducted by the University of Connecticut Department of Public Policy.
But rather than cursing at the weather-forecaster or throwing bags of pork rinds at their television sets, a group of local educators is trying to teach Seattle students about the media.
This year, Rainier Beach High School, along with Central House, a nonprofit organization that runs several programs designed to help inner-city youth, offered freshman students the chance to participate in a media literacy program.
"The goal of this program is to teach young people how to develop analytical skills so that they understand that everything they hear and see is not necessarily true," said Aaron Dixon, executive director of Central House.
Dixon said the curriculum was "pulled together" from various media literacy resources and carefully developed by employees at Central House in conjunction with teachers.
"We've shown the students different types of media messages," Dixon said. "We've presented them with alternatives to the mainstream media that offer different views of the same subject matter."
Central House employees Faiza Baker-Yeboah and Rice Baker-Yeboah help teach the class.
"This program is designed to educate young people about the media and give them a chance to voice their thoughts," Faiza said.
The students appear to be getting the message.
"Basically, we're learning that the media doesn't always tell the truth," said Rainier Beach student Timothy Butler. "And sometimes they mix things up."
Butler said that one of the problems that he and many of his peers see in today's media coverage is an emphasis on trivial affairs.
"I've seen reports on the news about people who are going around and busting windows," he said. "But there are people dying every day. There are more important things to report about than busted windows."
Students here feel that their school in particular has received biased, unfair coverage in the local media. They say Rainier Beach is depicted as being a high crime area when the truth is that their school doesn't deserve its sullied reputation.
"If they talk about Rainier Beach in the news," said student Alameda Ta'amu, "they only talk about what they've seen in the past, and they never talk about the good things that happen here."
Interestingly, students in the class had their own first-hand experience in dealing with the media that, as Rainier Beach teacher Paula Scott explained, was disappointing.
As part of their final project, students were asked to make their own public service announcements about an issue that concerned them. When the assignment was finished they held a press conference to show off their work.
"A lot of the reporters were asking questions that were geared for adults, with long, lengthy talk and a question hidden in there somewhere," Scott said of the June 8 event at Rainier Beach High.
She said one article didn't "put the students in the best light" because the reporter who wrote it didn't even attend the press conference.
"He just picked up bits and pieces that were from the other reporters either on the news or in the newspaper," Scott said. "What the article didn't show was just how articulate the students are. These kids are extremely articulate."
In addition to paying attention to how the local media portrayed them, students also watched national coverage.
"We spent time studying the news," said Miriam Gutierrez. "There is a lot of bad news coverage. Fox News covers the same things over and over."
For Dixon, Mohammed, the Baker-Yeboah couple, Scott and the rest of those involved in the project, it's about reversing stereotypes and empowering young people.
"Most students are aware of the negative images that exist around this school and this area," Dixon said. "But despite the negative images, most of them hold pretty positive views of themselves. Primarily, they need support from adults that believe they can succeed and believe they have a right to question things so that they can come from a position of strength instead of a position of weakness."
So they're encouraged to ask questions and, in return, they're finding that if they voice their concerns, people just might listen.
With that idea in mind, when asked what the media should do to improve coverage, Butler answered calmly and with the type of concision that many journalists, present company included, often fail to achieve.
"Whatever they're capable of doing," he said.
Too bad shifty reporters and profanity-spewing, remote control hurling media-haters don't exercise such level-headed thought.
Chad Schuster may be reached at editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
