Speaking Truth To Power

I actually really hate that phrase.

It is trotted out every time someone discusses journalism and I'm pretty tired of hearing it. I know what it means, I know why people use it, I just kind of wish they would stop.

But, I must say that some cat named Robert Pierre at the Washington Post has been speaking truth to power.

Check out that link. If you can get past the snarky tone of the author, you'll discover that Mr. Pierre let the fine folks at the Washington Post know that their decision to focus significant manpower and resources on reporting about Chandra Levy was ridiculous considering the fact that they've never spent that much money or time reporting on the death of one of the black men who has been slaughtered in D.C.

Pierre, who is a reporter on the Post's Metro desk, sent a memo to the brass at the Post letting them know exactly how displeased he was and challenging them to defend their decision to him.

I believe The Field Negro would call that field nigger behavior.

I respect Mr. Pierre for taking the stand he took. Just look at that article in the Washington City Paper and see how they handle his claims of racism. He can expect more of that now that his comments have hit the number one media gossip site.

As a black man in a mostly white world he risked some serious repercussions by attacking the power structure of the Post. That took courage and conviction.

All of us who work in corporate America understand the daily pressures we face as minorities in a majority world. There are many comments and emails that pass our desks that are racially unacceptable. There also are assumptions made about us and people who look like us.

If we take too militant a pose we run the risk of being marginalized and labeled as "angry." If we are too accommodating, we run the risk of losing our souls and our sanity.

I'm also in precarious position because I work as a journalist and in this business everyone prides themselves on being beyond issues of race. The entire media myth is built on the idea of objectivity, and most journalists are loathe to admit any personal biases.

Yet, the same problems that exist in the regular world exist in the newsroom. As gatekeepers and agenda setters, journalists understand the power our messages hold. Yet, our business is still one of the most pale in the nation and that's despite continuous calls for "diversity." Most American newspapers and television stations tell stories from the perspective of white people and frame issues based on what's important to white people. It's just a fact of life.

But, it's one of those facts that nobody likes to discuss. So, I have often found myself telling a colleague "Yes, what you just said qualified as racist" and "No, it doesn't matter if you contribute to the NAACP." I've had to meet with bigwigs and explain to them why they have an image problem with black folks and how their current actions aren't helping that image. I've had to defend black politicians I don't even like because when they accuse the media of being biased and unfair, sometimes they are right. Working as a journalist does not inoculate you against prejudice. It never has, and probably never will.

So, I applaud Mr. Pierre for taking the stand he took. There will be many who lob insults at him and question his intelligence. They will find "proof" that nothing about the Post is racist and the coverage flap has nothing to do with race. And then they'll move on, secure in their belief that the media doesn't have a race problem.

And Robert Pierre and I will keep chugging along.