Local Media Misrepresents Detroit by Focusing on Radical Protesters

[erikd]

One of the most frustrating things about being a Detroiter is that many, if not most, of the people in suburban metro Detroit are fiercely anti-Detroit, and relish the opportunity to insult and deride Detroiters at every turn. The overwhelming opinion of suburban Detroiters is that we are little more than lazy corrupt animals who support and encourage crime, corruption, and lawlessness.


The local Detroit media loves to play up this contentious city vs suburb divide to attract readers and viewers, but they do a great disservice to all of us when they pander to this lowest common denominator.


When Detroit was facing the appointment of an emergency manager, the local media was putting every local quack and rabble-rouser on the front page and evening newscast to make it seem like the city would erupt in riots if the state appointed an EM to oversee city finances.


When the state finally took over the city, there were MAYBE 50 protesters marching in front of city hall, while every local media outlet had cameras and reporters reporting live from the scene. There was nearly as many media personnel, if not more, than actual protesters.


One of the most supposedly "contentious" aspects of the city restructuring plan was to turn our signature city park into a state park. The polls showed that two thirds [[66%) of Detroiters supported this plan. Despite the overwhelming support of Detroiters, the local media chose to fan the flames of anti-Detroit sentiment by interviewing a handful of radicals and putting them on the news as if they were representative of the majority city opinion.


When one of the local radicals decided to stage a protest against the state takeover and resulting "disrespectful treatment" by the state police and DNR officers, it was on the front page of the papers and a lead story on the local news broadcasts. People around the region got all worked up about how stupid and ignorant Detroiters are because "we" were protesting. All of the local media was there reporting live...


...And about 20 protesters showed up.


Of course, the media will not be running headlines and live news coverage of the fact that 99.99% of Detroiters did not support or agree with this handful of radicals, so the majority of metro Detroiters will only know that "Detroiters" were staging a big protest, and the assumption will be that the majority of the city agrees with these 20 idiots.


Even after only 20 protesters showed up, look at what the headline says: "DETROITERS 'Ride for Respect' on Belle Isle"... As if those 20 people represent Detroiters.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/25...-on-belle-isle

[Vic01]

One of the most frustrating things about being a Detroiter is that many, or at least some, of the people in suburban metro Detroit are fiercely anti-Detroit, and relish the opportunity to insult and deride Detroiters at every turn. The opinion of some suburban Detroiters is that we are little more than lazy corrupt animals who support and encourage crime, corruption, and lawlessness.

The local Detroit media loves to play up this contentious city vs suburb divide to attract readers and viewers, but they do a great disservice to all of us when they pander to this lowest common denominator.

Erik,
While I enjoy, and agree with many of your other posts, I had to "edit" this one a bit. Otherwise I'd say that you were doing the exact thing that you accuse "them" of... "playing it up" and "pandering" in your own way. Blanket generalizations are the greatest disservice to all, it matters not whether "they" are doing it or you are. No offense intended, just my opinion.

[Scottathew]

It's not like elected Detroit officials agreed with these protesters...

[erikd]

Erik,
While I enjoy, and agree with many of your other posts, I had to "edit" this one a bit. Otherwise I'd say that you were doing the exact thing that you accuse "them" of... "playing it up" and "pandering" in your own way. Blanket generalizations are the greatest disservice to all, it matters not whether "they" are doing it or you are. No offense intended, just my opinion.

I stand by my accusations of "them" [[the local news media) playing up the city/suburb divide and pandering to the lowest common denominator.

The Belle Isle protest was all over the news on Friday. Will the fact that only 20 protesters showed up be all over the news this weekend? Of course it won't, because it's not shocking, controversial, or attention grabbing that almost nobody showed up to protest a non-issue.

The only thing that people will remember is that 'Detroiters" were outraged by the state takeover and law enforcement on Belle Isle, and organized a protest that garnered a shitload of media coverage. The back page follow up that tells the real story will never be seen by most people.

Am I wrong or off base on this? Am I incorrect in pointing out the fact that the media outlets that pumped up the protest story will not spend any effort to promote a story about the real outcome?

[erikd]

It's not like elected Detroit officials agreed with these protesters...

Some did, some didn't. The mayor was pulled over in the park, and he didn't have a problem with it. Brenda Jones and a few other city council members did have a problem with it, and I disagree with them.

Detroit city council is just like any other elected body in this country. There are some member that I agree with, and some members that I disagree with. Do you agree with all of your elected representatives in Lansing and Washington? Of course not...

We have idiots and crooks at all levels of government. For every Kwame, there is a Nixon. For every Martha Reeves, there is a Sarah Palin. The biggest difference is that Detroiters are villified when we elect a shitty representative, but voters on a state and federal level are given a pass when they do the same thing. If you voted for Kwame, you are blamed for willfully supporting a crook. If you voted for Nixon, it's ok, because it's not your fault that he turned out to be a crook.

[Vic01]

You can accuse the media of all sorts of bias and I'll likely agree. I was referring to your statement "many, if not most, of the people in suburban metro Detroit" and "The overwhelming opinion of suburban Detroiters is that...". This statement reads as a blanket statement against suburban residents of the Region. It could be that I read it wrong, but the bottom line is that I disagree with tossing around such generalizations so freely.

[Dan Wesson]

Erik you are noticing what I have witnessed for years concerning media, politics and people.

This is the norm. Something really, really big is needed to get ground swell occuring.

Now if you were to organize a protest to protest the protestors and get media to show up and publicize your support of the state takeover of the park. You will have 20 people show up. Catch my drift?

[Pam]

Erik- did you send a copy of your post to the local media?

[RapBrown]

This is why it's hard to take this forum seriously, the protest was put together by Ron Scott; well known for his efforts against police brutality. The whole damn constitution was overthrown to get these thugs to occupy the city. Now when cops are harassing citizens from everything to vagrancy to riding your bike on the wrong side of the road we're supposed to sit back and let the gestapo cops turn this into another Rodney King incident? I'll bet you that'll be covered by the local media.

It's the norm for this forum that good citizens of Detroit can just be labeled "radicals" for trying to stop something that could soon be spinning out of control

Peace it's such a "radical" term, Good Lord!

http://detroitcoalition.org/

[Dan Wesson]

thugs to occupy the city.

Peace it's such a "radical" term, Good Lord!

http://detroitcoalition.org/

Hmmm, I guess that depends on the meaning of thugs.

I guess it takes a thug to know a thug and they both seem to use the same methods at times. Tit for tat and the innocent children caught betwixt.

Yes, Peace it's such a "radical" term, Good Gawd Ya'll!

[mwilbert]

This is why it's hard to take this forum seriously, the protest was put together by Ron Scott; well known for his efforts against police brutality. The whole damn constitution was overthrown to get these thugs to occupy the city. Now when cops are harassing citizens from everything to vagrancy to riding your bike on the wrong side of the road we're supposed to sit back and let the gestapo cops turn this into another Rodney King incident? I'll bet you that'll be covered by the local media.

It's the norm for this forum that good citizens of Detroit can just be labeled "radicals" for trying to stop something that could soon be spinning out of control

Peace it's such a "radical" term, Good Lord!

http://detroitcoalition.org/

It is kind of hard to take this post seriously. "Gestapo cops". Really? "Whole damn constitution overthrown". I think not.

[corktownyuppie]

It is kind of hard to take this post seriously. "Gestapo cops". Really? "Whole damn constitution overthrown". I think not.

If 5 MSP officers were to beat the crap out of an unarmed black man on a bicycle, let me know where the protest is, I will be there standing alongside CAPB and BAMN and Brenda Jones and even Barbara Rose Collins.

But to equate deadly assault with getting a warning about your bike reflector or rolling through a stop sign isnt just wrong, it's disrespectful.

are the police here strict and somewhat overbearing? Maybe yes. Do you have to agree with it? No. But let's not be confused...this isnt Hitler taking back the city, and this is not Rodney King. And better not get to that point or I will be marching and hollering alongside the 20 that were here yesterday.

By the way, I just finished a 1 hour bike ride on the island. If the police are trying to keep Blacks out, they are failing miserably...and it sure seems like everyone on the island is friendly. Families, seniors, young people, kids....

[rex]

I think the media has been misrepresenting the city in a positive light. One would think crime in the city has all but stopped. In the last 28 days per the DPD CompStat there have been 33 homicides. I read the headlines everyday and the only one i recall any story on was the cinco de mayo parade.

[48202]

I was going to weigh in with the line about dog biting man isn't news, but man biting dog is news Then I came across this posting about seven news values.

http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Co...ewsValues.html

How many of these values apply to coverage of the Belle Isle situation?
How do these values apply to what murders do and don't get coverage?

[daddeeo]

Newspapers and TV stations need to sell papers and advertising. Honest reporting is not at the top of their list. Sensational coverage is what it is all about.
How many people are going to talk about a good Samaritan or a crooked politician or robbery?

[softailrider]

Some did, some didn't. The mayor was pulled over in the park, and he didn't have a problem with it. Brenda Jones and a few other city council members did have a problem with it, and I disagree with them.

Detroit city council is just like any other elected body in this country. There are some member that I agree with, and some members that I disagree with. Do you agree with all of your elected representatives in Lansing and Washington? Of course not...

We have idiots and crooks at all levels of government. For every Kwame, there is a Nixon. For every Martha Reeves, there is a Sarah Palin. The biggest difference is that Detroiters are villified when we elect a shitty representative, but voters on a state and federal level are given a pass when they do the same thing. If you voted for Kwame, you are blamed for willfully supporting a crook. If you voted for Nixon, it's ok, because it's not your fault that he turned out to be a crook.

I'm not a fan of Sarah Palin at all. I always felt if she became governor of Alaska ANYONE could become a governor. But lets not lump her in the same league as Martha Reeves. I think she's more capable then that.

[erikd]

You can accuse the media of all sorts of bias and I'll likely agree. I was referring to your statement "many, if not most, of the people in suburban metro Detroit" and "The overwhelming opinion of suburban Detroiters is that...". This statement reads as a blanket statement against suburban residents of the Region. It could be that I read it wrong, but the bottom line is that I disagree with tossing around such generalizations so freely.

I don't think that the local media is necessarily "biased" against Detroit, but rather that they give too much attention and coverage to radicals and cranks in order to get the attention of viewers. My problem with the media is that they are becoming more like TMZ or the Enquirer and less like the New York Times. I find this to be especially true in local television news. They are becoming more focused on shocking, over-sensationlized, attention grabbers than they are with reporting the facts. The media has the very important responsibility to inform the general public about what is going on in our government and society, but they are increasingly shirking that responsibility in favor of shock journalism.

As far as my blanket generalizations about suburban Detroiters, I fail to see any evidence that my assertion claiming many, if not most, suburban Detroiters are anti-Detroit. The fiercely anti-Detroit statements and opinions espoused by L Brooks Patterson are clearly shared by many, if not most, suburban Detroiters. To be sure, many suburban Detroiters do not agree with the views espoused by LBP, but it is undeniable that a very large percentage, and even quite likely the majority, of suburban Detroiters agree with his anti-Detroit statements and opinions.

Is there anybody who actually thinks that my assertions and observations are false? Is there any evidence that the anti-Detroit statements constantly spewed by LBP and other suburban leaders are not widely held by suburban Detroiters?

[Wesley Mouch]

I don't think that the local media is necessarily "biased" against Detroit, but rather that they give too much attention and coverage to radicals and cranks in order to get the attention of viewers. ...snip...
As far as my blanket generalizations about suburban Detroiters, I fail to see any evidence that my assertion claiming many, if not most, suburban Detroiters are anti-Detroit. The fiercely anti-Detroit statements and opinions espoused by L Brooks Patterson are clearly shared by many, if not most, suburban Detroiters. To be sure, many suburban Detroiters do not agree with the views espoused by LBP, but it is undeniable that a very large percentage, and even quite likely the majority, of suburban Detroiters agree with his anti-Detroit statements and opinions.

Is there anybody who actually thinks that my assertions and observations are false? Is there any evidence that the anti-Detroit statements constantly spewed by LBP and other suburban leaders are not widely held by suburban Detroiters?

Yes, I really think you are wrong here -- but I can't cite any evidence.

There are most certainly a great number of mostly older people who hold anti-Detroit sentiments. But I think if you ask younger people -- they mostly wish Detroit well and hope to see a vibrant city again.

Don't mistake most suburbanites dislike of the liberal social policies being pushed in Detroit for being anti-Detroit. One can be pro-Detroit, yet think the city's on a terribly wrong path.